Whispering Illusions
by Psy.Ops
Summary: Whispering Illusions in now complete. Look for Facts of Danger, the second in this series of four.
1. Improbability

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Naruto or Studio Pierrot. Though wishing about it. The things I could do...looks on evilly 

Whispering Illusions

Chapter One

Improbability

(a) (a) (a)

Things were quiet around Konoha Village. If you could ignore the screeching of the Godaime and Shizuno. Everywhere in the large village you could hear the Hokage's screams and the determined shrieking of her assistant as she tried to get the Fifth do her paperwork and something of slightly more interest. Anyone near enough to hear words laughed and stopped to listen to the exchange, as it was more violent than any other. Even the Special Jounin Izumo had crept down the outside stair and was shooting glances over to Raidou, trying to get his attention. Apparently, whatever those two were arguing about was worthy of the highest form of appreciation. The Gossip Vine.

Raidou sighed. If he didn't hear what Izumo wanted, then the man was just going to bug the hell out of him until he would listen. Why it had to be him and not Genma, he never knew. Genma had been all over him the last week about something big coming in, but Raidou still wasn't sure what the hell he was talking about, even with him being closest to the Hokage, aside from Shizuno. He groaned and strode over to the now wildly gesturing Izumo.

"What do you want, Izumo-san?" he ground out.

Izumo smiled brightly and motioned him in closer. When Raidou didn't come any closer, he stepped closer and whispered loudly in his ear. "The Fifth and Shizuno are going at it over Iruka-sensei."

Raidou growled. "I know that, you idiot! Everyone within a one-mile radius can hear that!"

"Yes, but not about what," the sly little man shot back, winking. _Hook_.

Now that got Raidou's attention. "What are you blathering about, man?" He wanted to know, even if he didn't tell the whole Jounin group about it, which would be a no-brainer. If he didn't, Genma would wheedle it out of him and tell anyway.

Izumo laughed evilly and leaned closer. "Hokage-sama wants Iruka to leave the Academy for a while."

"What? That's nothing to be fighting over," Raidou sputtered, looking a little taken aback.

"Ah, but that is where it gets interesting," Izumo continued. "It's not just that. Earlier today, he lost it. And I mean _lost_ it."

Raidou looked disbelieving. Iruka-sensei lost it? "What do you mean '_lost _it'?"

Izumo lowered his voice even more, stepped even closer, and cupped a hand around his mouth. "Pressure got to him. Dealing with kids all day finally made him snap. During kunai practice, one of the kids threw a kunai and missed. It wouldn't have been a problem if the girl hadn't repeatedly missed and nearly hit Iruka-sensei. Everytime. At. Practice." He grinned at the rapt expression on Raidou's face. _Line_. "Well, she missed really good this time and nailed Iruka in the thigh, except this time, it was during the multiple throw exercise. She got him in the arm and the ribs, too."

"No one is that bad," Raidou said, blinking a bit at the image of Iruka impaled with several kunai. It was just to disturbing. "What happened?"

_Sinker_.

"I don't really _know_ what he did, but he apparently went on a rampage and ran after the girl. He never caught up to her, but Hokage-sama found him balled up in the teacher's lounge. He was crying and raging. It took her a minute to calm him enough to get the kunai out of him and heal him enough to stop the bleeding. After that, Iruka-sensei was sent home," Izumo finished, pulling back.

Raidou looked poleaxed. Iruka-sensei chased a student? What the hell?

It took them both a second or so to realize that the shouting match had ended. They looked up to the Hokage's office, worried, but relieved it was over. Sighing, they went to make sure everyone was still alive. Opening the office door, Raidou stepped in and called out. Shizuno came through her office door and smiled at them. Apparently she had won the argument. She greeted him and motioned for Izumo to come in too.

"I have missions for you both," she stated as soon as the door was closed. They gave her worried looks. "Oh, nothing dangerous, mind. Just a little something around the village."

"What is it, Shizuno-san?" Izumo asked, leaning against the door.

"I want you to find someone to take over Iruka-sensei's spot at the Academy. He won't be working there for the rest of the year due to health problems."

"His or the kids?" Izumo muttered, half to himself.

Shizuno laughed nervously and proceded, "Both, actually. He's been under a lot of stress lately and needs to take a break from teaching. With the way things have been with Naruto and the attack on the village, he's not been able to handle the stress all that well."

"Will that be all, Shizuno-san?" Raidou queried, half turning back to the door.

"If you see Hatake Kakashi lounging around, send him to the Hokage. She has something for him," Shizuno said, turning back to her office.

Izumo smiled and opened the door, following Raidou out. This was going to be some juicy tid-bits to feed to the Vine. Yes, definitely gossip worthy.

(a) (a) (a)

Snarling, Iruka sent the dummy bag swinging with a quick rabbit punch. What had possessed him to lose his temper like that? It wasn't like she had meant to hit him. He stretched, the new skin pulling around the healed wound on his ribs. Why didn't he cancel the practice today? He should have known that the girl wasn't ready for this new exercise. He struck out at the bag again. His bronze skin shone in the afternoon light. With it being so warm, Iruka has stripped his vest and shirt off, not wanting them to smell to badly when he went home.

Cursing himself for losing his temper so royally, Iruka pushed himself to the limit working on his taijitsu. After punching the baf for so long, he knuckles started to bleed. Leaving off on that, he threw himself into rolling jumps, high jumps, spinning kicks and running around. Once his legs became to heavy, he sat down and went through every genjutsu he knew, wearing his chakra down to nothing. This didn't take as long as the other exercises had. He growled at his lack of Chakra. He wasn't good at anything but teaching and his proof was in his Chakra flow. He was useless as a ninja.

Feeling even more sorry for himself, Iruka threw himself down onto his stomach, setting his head over his crossed arms. He was mentally and physically exhausted. He didn't know when he would be able to move again, not that he really wanted to. It was really warm out and the sun felt so good on his skin. As he drifted in and out of wakefullness, Iruka thought back over the last few hours.

Why had being hit made such a difference? Why had he went after the girl? He knew that during the Chuunin exam he had suffered from high anxiety. He had even confronted that maniac Hatake over his entering his just graduated Genin into the exam. That fight had led to even more anxiety during the final stages of the exam. When the village had been attacked, it had caused him to nearly lose his mind with worry when he found out that Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were fighting the Sand Genin by themselves. But that didn't compare to when Naruto had went off to bring Sasuke back. He had died a little inside when Kakashi-sensei had brought the bloody boy back, half alive.

Since then, he had had no time to channel his anxiety, hurt, worry, and disdain into anything other than work. He knew it was this that had contributed more to him attacking the girl than anything else. Maybe it was a good idea that the Hokage ordered him to take a break. He needed one, really. Dealing with kids day in, day out with only one day of rest wasn't helping his or their health. He could take the time to work on his Chakra. Or he could work on getting stronger. He really was only equipped to deal with children and really weak adults.

With these thoughts floating around in his head, Iruka dozed off. Unaware, he never knew the presence lurking in a nearby oak.

(a) (a) (a)

Kakashi grumbled under his breath. Why him? Why did he, the Copy Nin, have to take a vacation? It was absurd. With him no longer in ANBU and his Genin team scattered to the winds, there was nothing for him to do. Though that didn't keep him from watching over Naruto or tagging along on other people's missions. How that woman found out, he would never know. He could hazard a guess, but that would only make him more irritated.

Already the Vine was buzzing with the latest news. Iruka had finally lost his legendary patience and had attacked one of the students in his class. Kakashi couldn't blame the man. There were times when he wanted to belt Naruto and Sasuke just for the hell of it. He sighed and made his way to the monument. He hadn't had a chance to pay his respects to Yondaime and Rin today, thanks to Godaime. He frowned as he landed on the upper branches of an oak.

Who was that bouncing around? He noticed the vest and shirt laying off to the side of the training field. He looked closer and was surprised to see Iruka going through some impressive kicks and spins. If he thought about it, no one really knew when Iruka trained or if he trained at all. It was a mystery to even those close to him. The village loved him, but he didn't have that many that knew him. Iruka was a mystery to most of the Jounin and half the Chuunin that hadn't advanced to Jounin. In a sense, Iruka was just like him. _Yeah, if you took away the mask, the feeling of being inadequate, and the constant paranoia_._ Yeah, Iruka was just like him_. He continued to watch the dark skinned man as he used his Chakra. Kakashi was a little taken aback at the amount he had, figuring he would have a high amount, but was mistaken.

When Iruka finally collasped, Kakashi noted the gleam of sweat coating him and how the sun made his skin glow golden. It was a very nice sight. Iruka was slimly built, but made up for it in the ropy muscles that rippled across his back. He was built for speed and agility, Kakashi noted as he smiled, pictures of things he could do with those abilities. He shook his head and continued to watch the man sleep. Slim hips and a nice ass. Better and better all the time.

Kakashi had no qualms about men or women sharing his bed. He liked them both, but he preffered men. It was easier to understand them, unlike women with mecurial moods and insane emotions. They were a little to rational for him. He liked wild. He wondered if Iruka was bent toward men? If he was...

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, his grey eye crinkling up. Oh, he could have so much fun with this. But, he frowned, how was he going to get Iruka to like him and not to hate him for what he put his prized students through? _Arrgghhh!_ he screamed in his head. He was going to drive himself insane if he kept thinking of all the perverted things he wanted to do to the school teacher. He froze as another perverted thought entered his head.

Iruka was standing over him, berating him for his bad grades. He kept him over after class to deal out his punishment. But instead of Iruka doling it out, Kakashi stands over him and pulls him close, lowering his mask to kiss the little teacher hard on the mouth. He could feel Iruka's hands on his shoulders and trolling through his hair. He pushed Iruka back onto the desk-

Iruka had felt someone staring at him when he jerked awake. He carefully looked around and finally spotted a shadow in the oak above him. He looked carefully and saw it was Kakashi. He was staring at him with a very wicked glint in his eye and his face was flushed. Iruka had an idea of what he was imagining. Scowling, he slipped a rock into his hand, rolled, and fired the makeshift missile. He grinned when he heard a grunt.

Kakashi rubbed his head and noticed Iruka glaring up at him. Busted. Grinning behind his mask, Kakashi lowered himself to the ground.

"Yo, Iruka-san."

"What do you want, Kakashi-sensei?" Iruak asked, gaining his feet and crossing his arms.

Kakashi almost drooled over Iruka's hard little body. _Oh, this is so much better than my fantasies_. Jerking back to reality, he smiled at Iruka. "Nothing much, Iruka-sensei. I was on my way to the monument when I spotted you running around. I didn't want to disturb you, so I just sat reading."

Iruka cocked an eybrow at the Jounin as he collected his shirt and vest. "Uh-huh. And how long have you been daydreaming?"

Kakashi laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "Not long."

"Right. And you expect me to believe you? You're a maniac, a liar, and a pervert, Kakashi-sensei. I will never know why Sarutobi-sama put you in charge of Group Seven," Iruka muttered as he donned his shirt. He threw his vest over his shoulder, not bothering to put it on. "Well, as nice as it was to talk to you, I have things to do."

Kakashi sighed as he watched Iruka walk away. _I guess he still hates me_. He rubbed the new lump rising above his left ear. _He's got wicked aim, too_.


	2. Electric

Whispering Illusions 

Chapter Two

Electric

(a) (a) (a)

Iruka avoided as many people as he could as he made his way back to his apartment. Those he couldn't avoid either called out to him or gave him a wide berth. He ignored them and quickly escaped, not wanting to explain why he had lost his cool. He was still fuming over that pervert watching him. _What the hell was he thinking anyway_? Oh, Iruka had a good idea what he had been thinking about, he just didn't want to think about it. It wasn't that he was uptight about sex, it was just to have the village's biggest pervert, outside of Jiraiya, thinking those thoughts about him...

During his walk back to his place it had started to rain. _Just great_! _Perfect end to the perfect day_! Growling, Iruka slammed into his small apartment, glad that it had waited until he was nearly home before starting to rain. Tossing his vest onto the nearby couch, he flipped his radio on. Classical music floated from the speakers, doing nothing to soothe his frazzled nerves. He tuned the old radio to a local station that played something heavier. He didn't normally listen to the hard hitting rock the station played, but today it suited his mood.

Nodding, Iruka went to the kitchen and opened his fridge. Very little was inside, but there was an old container of ramen. Pulling it out, he opened the box and sniffed. _Yech_! He was lucky it hadn't started to move around on it's own. Tossing the offfending box into the trash, he dug around again, finding an apple, an orange, a half block of sharp cheddar, and a nearly full bottle of white wine. Good. Now all he needed were some butter crackers and he could have a nice, if spare, meal.

After finishing off the last of the cheese, Iruka grabbed the still full bottle and glass. It was time for a nice relaxing bath. He switched the radio back to the classical station and turned it up. Sipping some of the wine, Iruak prepared his bath. Feeling the need to pamper himself, he reached under the sink, pulling a small bottle of oil out. Taking the stopper out, he sniffed. Lemon and basil. Perfectly mixed to soothe frayed nerves for which had precious little of. He tipped the bottle and measured out six drops. Hot water and fragrant oil soon had the small bathroom steaming and smelling nice. Iruka quickly stripped his clothes and stepped into the bath, making sure the wine was within easy reach. As he sank down, he remembered to pull his ponytail down. His dark brown hair fell around his face and shoulders, easing the headache he'd had nearly all day somewhat.

Sighing, he lay his head back and sipped from the glass again. Today had been shit and it was just going to get worse. He just knew it. Naruto hadn't been by and that could only mean he wasn't back from his recent mission. Thank Kami-sama for small favors. But he knew as soon as he did come back, there was going to be hell to pay. The boy would blast him with questions and he just wasn't up to that just yet. Grimacing, Iruka turned his head to the side to stare out the small upper window. He prayed to whatever god was listening that Naruto would be gone for a little more time. He just couldn't handle him right now.

(a) (a) (a)

Kakashi hadn't been at the monument long before it started to rain on him. He glared up at the heaven's, cursing the gods. Now he would have to take a bath and wash his clothes. He could already smell wet dog. He finished his prayers and slung his drooping hair out of his face. He thought back on his visit to the Godaime, blaming his irritation on her.

He had been at Sakura's house trying to talk to her about a new healing jitsu he had picked up, while trying not to be irritated at her hovering mother. Showing her the seals, there had been a knock at the door. With the harried woman out of his hair, he told Sakura how he had come by it while shadowing one of the Stone nins on his last mission. A moment later, Izumo appeared in the livingroom. He had smiled and motioned for Kakashi to follow him. Telling Sakura that he would give her another jitsu later, he went with Izumo.

"The Hokage would like to see you, Kakashi-sensei," the Special Jounin said as soon as they left the house.

"A mission?" he asked, going into his 'I don't really care' slouch.

Izumo smiled. "I don't really know. Shizuno-san asked me to find you."

"Thanks," Kakashi had said, then transported into the Hokage's office.

She was sitting behind her desk, nearly hidden behind the paper and scrolls piled around. All he could see was the top of her platinum head and the occasional grumble.

"When are you going to learn to knock, Hatake?" she spit out, tossing a scroll onto a slowly growing pile.

"You asked for me, Hokage-sama?" his visible eye crinkling with mirth.

She looked up at him and frowned. "Yes, Kakashi. I want you to take a vacation."

Kakashi had slouched into a 'Interested, but I could care less' stance. "Vacation? Why?" He put his hands into his pockets.

She looked pissed about something as she slashed across a scroll. She glared at him and made another mark. "I've known about your little adventures since your group was scattered. Shadowing other nins. Following Naruto and making sure he doesn't do anything stupid." She set aside the scroll and picked up another one. "Since you aren't ANBU anymore, there isn't anything for you to do. I don't have any missions that would require your talents and you haven't had a break in quite some time. So, your mission is to relax. Go have fun. Find someone to sleep with. Just stop following my nins!"

Kakashi had slowly come to attention as she went on. How the hell did she know about his shadowing? He couldn't think of anything that he had done to show his presence. _Relax_? He was a fucking paranoid nin. He couldn't relax, there was no such thing to him. He'd been on countless missions, killed, been nearly killed, and was always being attacked. He didn't know the meaning of the word. He cocked his eyebrow.

"Anything else, Hokage-sama?" he asked in a bored voice. _What the hell was he going to do until she gave him something to do_?

If a look could kill, and with Tsunade it probably could, he would have been dead. "Just stay the hell away from anything that resembles a mission, Hatake. I'll know and you don't want me angry. Now get the hell out of my office before I decide to make you help me."

And that led him back to his miserable situation. He didn't have anything to keep him busy. He couldn't track the Genins anymore, couldn't shadow his fellow Jounin, or follow Naruto to make sure he didn't kill himself. What was he going to do? He'd read every single one of the Paradise novels, at least the ones that were out. He wondered how far Jiraiya was on the next one. But he couldn't even bug his old sensei! He still hadn't returned from his mission.

Kakashi sighed and made his way back to his cramped apartment. He sniffed himself again and winced. He really should make the dogs sleep on the floor instead of in his bed. He was starting to smell like them. That thought reminded him of taking a hot shower when he got home. Did he have any clean clothes? Or towels, for that matter. Actually, when was the last time he had done the laundry? He couldn't remember. He was loathe to ask Gai for a towel. He could just see the man posing and going on about Kakashi's cleaning habits. This from a man that hardly ever cleaned his own apartment. Kakashi tried not to get sick from remembering the smell coming from Gai's apartment the last time he had dared enter the place.

"Hatake Kakashi! I challenge you to a duel, my long time rival!" a dreaded voice called out from a nearby alley.

Just thinking of Gai seemed to make him materialize. "Did you say something, Gai-sensei?"

Gai stomped from the alley with a hurt expression. "That is so modern! And Kakashi-sensei makes it so great sounding!"

Kakashi rolled his eye. "What is it this time, Gai?"

Gai straightened up and posed. "I challenge you to a game of RoShamBo. And if I lose, I will do 5000 push-ups."

Kakashi snorted. "You...never mind. Ready?" It was pointless to even try with Gai. He held out his fist and pumped it up and down five times, waiting for Gai to do the same. "Go!"

They held their hands out.

Gai started to weep. "Paper! I was beat with paper! Kakashi-sensei is a genius! How did you know that I would change my never changing paper to rock?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Lucky guess?"

"I should never underestimate the great Hatake Kakashi! Until our next meeting, worthy rival," Gai exclaimed as he faded back into the alley.

Kakashi groaned. Why him? He came back to his senses. Damn it! He forgot to ask Gai for a towel. He could ask Asuma or Kurenai, but he remembered that they were off doing missions. Damn! He only knew one other person and he dreaded to even think of asking him. Of course, it would be good to see him again. He couldn't get the image of his hard little body out of his head. It was all Iruka's fault for being so damn sexy and teacherly. Shit, he really needed a towel and he was the only other person in the village that he knew. Sighing, he detoured three blocks to Iruka's apartment building.

Upon reaching his destination, he was greeted by the manager. He didn't know if Iruka was home or not, but he gave Kakashi Iruka's apartment number. Thanking the man, Kakashi headed down the little porticio. He knocked a couple of times, but no one came to the door. He could hear music playing inside, so Iruka was home. _Where the hell was he_? Kakashi became irritated and jumped to the roof. He crept across, locating Iruka's livingroom window. _No one there_. He went to the next, the bedroom. _Nope_. That left the bathroom. He grinned evilly behind his mask and swung down onto the sash. Lucky for him the window was open and he could see _everything_ inside.

He jerked back into shadows when Iruka turned toward the window. Damn it all to hell! The man was gorgeous! He really should leave his hair down. It made him look all the more yummy. Kakashi caught a whiff of something on the wind, something that made him melt. _Lemons and basil_? Was that coming from Iruka's bath? Kakashi peeked in again.

(a) (a) (a)

Sitting up, Iruka poured that last of the wine into his glass and downed it. His head was a little fuzzy and the water was getting cold. Setting the glass down, he quickly washed his hair and body. While the water was draining, he dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist. Grabbing the blowdryer, he started to dry his hair. That is until he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. Whirling around, he nearly screamed when he saw who it was.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing here, Kakashi?" Iruka ground out, to upset to be embarrassed.

"Yo, Iruka-san." Kakashi stepped into the bathroom, dripping water onto the floor.

"Again, what are you doing here? Wasn't day-dreaming about me earlier today enough?" Iruka blushed at the last, finally coming back to his senses. He was berating Kakashi in a towel for God sakes. Iruka noticed that the blow dryer was still on. He grinned to himself. He couldn't, could he?

"Well, about why I'm here," Kakashi laughed self-conciously. "You see, I haven't had time to do my laundry and I was wondering if I could borrow a towel and a pair of pants and shirt. So-"

Whatever else Kakashi was about to say was abruptly cut off as an electric sizzle filled the air. The lights flickered a few times. Kakashi yelped in pain and was blown out the window. Iruka wrapped his hand in a towel and quickly ripped the blowdryer from the wall. He'd have to buy a new one, but it was worth seeing the look of horror in that maniac's eye as he was flying out the window. That would teach him to come sneaking into his bathroom again. He looked into the mirror.

"Chuunin 2, Jounin 0."

Iruka turned a bright red. _Just how long was that bastard standing there before I noticed him_? Iruka groaned and banged his head against the wall. Why did he always think of these things after they happened? He banged his head on the wall a couple of more times, making the headache that had gone away come back. Holding back a sob, Iruka brushed his damp hair and then his teeth. He just wanted to sleep. Turning out the lights, Iruka ripped the towel off his hips and let it slip to the floor as he crawled into his warm bed.

(a) (a) (a)

A/N: Arigato to everyone that's read so far. And many, many thanks to those that have reviewed. Hopefully, this fic won't waste away and should be only a dozen or so chapters. Maybe. But, there will be others in this series. Yes, I said series. I've planned out at least two other fics for these two and maybe one or two other fics based around Naruto and Hinata, Lee and Gaara, and possibly one around Neji and Kiba. Though I'm not sure about that last pair. Would be interesting to see where it went. Let me kow which ones you would like to read about. There is also a song-fic I'm adding to my Kaka-Iru series. I'm saving it for last or next to last. But you won't know what song, cause I ain't tellin':-b

Enjoy your future readings!


	3. Scent

Whispering Illusions 

Chapter 3

Scent

(a) (a) (a)

Kakashi groaned and opened his eye. He squinted it shut again as light pierced into his brain. Why did his head hurt so much? Did he get drunk again? He carefully opened his eye again and surveyed his surroundings. He was lying in a reeking dumpster and it was daylight. Instead of crawling out, he lay there and thought about how he could have gotten into the thing. Crossing his ankles he tried to remember what had happened. Glancing down he noticed the bottom of one of his sandals was charred. _What the hell happened last night_?

The last thing he remembered was watching Iruka take a bath and had just stepped in to ask if he could borrow some clothes and a towel. He could see Iruka looking pissed and holding a blowdryer...The little ass had electrocuted him! He had never once thought the mild mannered man would even think of doing something so underhanded. Iruka was a sweet, mild-mannered, until recently, ninja. Why would he do something like that? Kakashi refused to believe he brought it on himself. He had only wanted to borrow some things. Why try to kill him?

Groaning, he hauled himself out of the dumpster and made his way home. He didn't smell the best so he stuck to the rooftops. Thank God it was only a few blocks to his apartment. Reaching his window, he slipped in and dug around in a wardrobe set in the corner of the small room. He found a pair of boxers and one of his black shirts, but no pants. _Shit_. Hanging in the back of the wardrobe was an old summer yukata. Patterned with silver and gold koi on a grey background, it was something the Yondaime had given him for the New Year's festival thirteen years ago. Seeing it brought tears to Obito's eye, the crybaby. Having no other choice, Kakashi grabbed it. He could wear his shirt and boxers under the yukata and find his old sisal sandals.

After taking a hot shower and making sure his flesh didn't have the lingering smell of rotting food, he dressed. He felt a little ridiculous wearing the old yukata, but it fit, if a little short. He stared down at his white calves and feet. He really should think about sunbathing. He looked into the mirror and grimaced at the face staring back at him. He hated that face. The face of his father. The scar blurred some of it, even marring the corner of his mouth. Thin, slightly red lips compressed further as he covered the angular contours of his lower face. He decided to forgo his forehead protector and instead, pulled out a long unused eye patch. He hadn't used the black patch since the day he was released from the hospital.

He turned his mind away from those depressing thoughts and slipped the patch over the Sharingan. Gathering up the small pile of shirts, pants, boxers, and towels, Kakashi gritted his teeth and left his small two room apartment. Lucky for him the laundry was only a few streets away and it was still early so not many people were out. At least the normal people, not so for the nins of Konaha Village. He hid as much as he could behind his bundle, thought that didn't stop Genma from spotting him. He groaned as the Jounin sidled up beside him.

"Whatcha doin', Kakashi?" Genma asked, the ever present senbon twirling around his smiling mouth.

"Genma, I swear to God, don't piss me off today," he growled, ducking behind the bundle when he spotted Asuma and his Genins. "I'm not in the mood."

"You never are in the mood from what I hear," Genma chuckled, stepping to the side to avoid Kakashi's fist. He stopped laughing and looked at the other man. "Jeez, you really are pissed. What happened?" Unlilke everyone else in the village, Genma wasn't scared of the older Jounin. He liked to think of himself as Kakashi's friend.

Sighing, because he knew he wouldn't get rid of the man that easy, Kakashi answered him. "I had a bad night."

Genma glared at him, the senbon twitching up and down. "Come on, tell me!" he pleaded in a whiny voice.

Grinding his teeth, Kakashi told him about his run in with Iruka at the monument and then going to his place later that night to ask for a change of clothes and a towel. "I hadn't expected to find him in the bath, but he was majorly pissed and..." Kakashi turned a little pink.

"And?" Genma prodded.

"He, uh, he kinda, uh, threw his blowdryer at me."

"Okay," Genma said slowly. "And that's all that happened?" He wasn't going to leave him alone until he got the whole story from him. They had arrived at the laundry and Genma opened the door for the burdened Jounin. He waited as Kakashi gave the laundress his clothes and was given a ticket and time to come back. "And?" he asked again as they left the shop.

Kakashi should have known better. "He threw it at my feet. Into a puddle of water. I woke up below his bathroom window."

Genma's eye widened. "He electrocuted you? _Iruka_?" Genma couldn't hold it back anymore. He guffawed, grabbing his stomach and bending double. He laughed so hard tears popped into his eyes. "I can't believe it!" He hooted again in laughter at the look Kakashi threw him.

"It's not funny. I could have died!" Kakashi grumbled.

Genma sobered enough to grin wickedly at his friend. "I still can't believe that Iruka sent you flying. He used to do stuff like that in Academy."

Kakashi narrowed his eye at Genma. "You better not tell anyone at the mission office, Genma. I'll kill you, if you do," he threatened, only half meaning it.

Genma backed up, holding out his hands. "Alright, alright. But it won't stay secret for long."

"Keep what a secret for long?" Raidou's voice asked from above them. He dropped to the street and looked between the two. "Nice outfit Kakashi."

"I didn't have anything else to wear," he spat out, glaring.

"What's a secret?" Raidou asked again, narrowing his eyes at Genma. If he waited long enough, his partner would cave. All he had to do was keep looking at him.

"Genma," Kakashi growled.

Genma looked to his lover and to his friend. Raidou was giving him that look. The one that said 'just wait until I get you alone'. He started to bounce. Kakashi was giving him death glares, ones that said 'you tell him, and you won't live to see another morning'. He started to sweat. He looked between them again. He chewed on his nails. Another look at them.

"I can't take it!" he yelled. "Kakashi was blown out of Iruka's apartment last night for peeping at him!"

"You fucker! I wasn't peeping!" Kakashi screamed, throwing a punch at Genma.

Genma danced away from Kakashi and hid behind Raidou. "Well, he went to Iruka's to ask for some clothes when Iruka threw his hairdryer at his feet and electrocuted Kakashi, blowing him out the bathroom window. That's why he's in such a wonderful mood today." Genma stuck his tongue out at the Copy Nin.

Kakashi growled low in his throat. He wanted to rip the little pip squeak apart, but he was being irrational. Besides, Raidou would find a way to kill him. "I'll get you for this, Genma, you gossip whore!" Kakashi stomped off, tossing glares over his shoulder.

"Well, that went better than I expected," Genma sighed. "I thought he was going to kill me."

Raidou grinned, hugging Genma to his side. "You really are the worst gossip. How long do you think you can keep this little jewel to yourself?" He asked, not because he didn't trust Genma, only to make the usually unruffled Kakashi squirm some more.

Chuckling evilly, Genma replied, "Oh, at least until evening. You know, when the last of the nins come in for reports."

Raidou eyed Genma. "Isn't that when Kurenai, Anko, Izumo, and Asuma report in?" Genma laughed and nodded. "You truly are evil. The news will be all over the Jounin ranks by morning and be filtering into the Chuunin ranks by mid-afternoon."

"Don't you love the smell of juicy gossip in the morning?" Genma quipped as they headed for the mission office.

(a) (a) (a)

Iruka yawned, opening his eyes slowly, noting the angle of the sun's rays on his bedroom wall. He was late! He bolted from the bed and stopped. That's right. _I was relieved of duty for the rest of this year_. He sighed and found a clean pair of boxers, slipping them up his slim hips. Yawning again, he finger combed his hair, shoving some it behind his ear. He went into the kitchen and opened the fridge. He blinked at the lack of food and yawned again. Still sleepy, but he was hungry.

Spotting a laundry basket on the couch, he found a pair of jeans and a clean black shirt. Fighting with the tight jeans, he was dressed in ten minutes. He looked to his hitai-ate and sighed. He wouldn't need it today, but he grabbed it and wrapped it around his head. He was to lazy to put his hair up and the headband would keep the hair from his eyes. Sliding into his sandals, he set off to find food.

Not many people recognized him. They rarely saw the teacher without his vest or with his hair down. To most he was a new nin. To young to be Jounin and just old enough to still be a Genin. Iruka smiled at the last of these thoughts. With his hair down he didn't look like he was twenty-four, he looked seventeen or eight-teen. _Let them wonder, I don't have the energy to talk to anyone today_. I_ just want to get something to eat and something for later tonight_. That would mean going to the grocery store, bakery, and Ihciraku's. The ramen stall would be a good place to have lunch.

Ignored for the most part, Iruka found a small resturant with the smell of bacon and eggs floating in the air. He went in, finding a seat in the back. It wasn't long before he was wolfing down his breakfast and enjoying a cup of coffee. After his meal, he sat back and brought his cup to his lips, sipping the pungent coffee.

He closed his eyes and inhaled. When he opened them, he glared.

"What do you want?" he growled, setting his cup down with a thump.

"This."

Iruka was thrown backwards as the white fist connected with his chin. He tucked his body and rolled, gathering his chakra and leaping backwards out a window. He turned and ran, using his chakra to propel him faster. He looked back over his shoulder. Damn! The gray and white figure was right behind him and gaining! He had to get out of the village and fast. He didn't have any weapons. He hadn't expected to be attacked, though he still should have grabbed his weapons pouch. _Stupid_!

Lifting from rooftop to rooftop, it didn't take long for Iruka to come to the forest. Leaping, he gained the shadows and sped through them. He couldn't afford to slow for a second. He had to lose his attacker fast or find a weapon. He touched his aching jaw and dared a glance behind him. He couldn't see anything. He slowed and rested against a tree, keeping an ear open for the sound of pursuit. The forest's sounds were still all around and they would warn him if anyone approached.

Shoving a strand of hair from his face, he gasped when he spotted a streak of silver below him. The shadow stopped and turned back, leaping to the branch across from. Folds of gray, silver and gold settled around white legs. Iruka looked up, his eyes widening as he was caught in the exposed Sharingan's whirling force. He looked into it and the smoldering gray eye, a black patch held in the man's hand.

"You nearly killed me last night," Kakashi spat out, anger behind every word.

Iruka flinched, but refused to back away, just as angry. "You shouldn't have been in my apartment."

Kakashi growled, leaping the last few feet to stand in front of Iruka, making him back into the tree. "If you would have let me finish, I was only asking you for a change of clothes and a spare towel."

Iruka refused to believe him. The man was a pathological liar. "And I guess that you weren't there just to watch me take a bath? I saw your eye, what was in it." Iruka gasped when the man leaned in, the feeling of anger surrounding him.

"Do you hate me that much, Iruka-san?" Kakashi whispered, invading the smaller man's space. He was enjoying this. Making the teacher squirm, the way his hair fell around his face, trying to hide his fear. He smiled behind his mask as the man fought through his fear. At least he had guts.

"Hate you? I don't hate you, Kakashi-sensei," Iruka whispered. _Oh God_! He smelled good. Iruka swallowed, sure the Jounin could hear it. "You're perverted and you were spying on me. What was I supposed to think?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, seeing Iruka's pulse jump. He smiled wider behind his mask, leaning in again until they were almost nose to nose. "You could have at least let me finish what I was saying before trying to kill me." Iruka smelled of coffee, lemons, and sunlight. He inhaled the scent deep into his lungs.

"I...I..." Iruka couldn't think. Kakashi was to close, making his heart jump and his skin tingle. He inhaled the spicy scent floating on the air. Ginger and sandalwood. Iruka felt his stomach warming. _Oh, why did it have to be him_? He tried to sink into the tree, his hands digging into the bark.

Kakashi's lids lowered, giving Iruka a sensual look. He could see Iruka's pulse jump again to a higher rate, his heart racing to push blood through his overexcited little body. He could feel the heat the rushing blood was producing reaching out to him, as if asking him to come closer. Kakashi stopped smiling and leaned closer, his masked lips a bare inch from his captive's lips. He could smell something tangy coming from Iruka now. Was that excitement or fear?

"Are you afraid of me, Iruka-san?" Kakashi whispered, lifting a hand to brush hair out of Iruka's face. He wasn't surprised to see him flinch just a bit when he touched him.

"N...no," he stuttered.

"Little liar," Kakashi laughed softly, dropping his hand to run a finger under Iruka's chin.

He watched Iruka's eye follow his hand as it traced back up to his face and across his lips. His eyes snapped back to Kakashi's, widening just a little, the pupils dialating, the chocolate brown going darker. He brought his other hand up and wound a path through his hair, finding the knot holding the other's protector in place and releasing it. He pulled it away and came closer, dropping it to the forest floor, setting a knee between Iruka's.

"Wha...what are you doing, Kakashi-sensei?" Iruka got out over the lump in his throat. He took a shuddering breath as the man came even closer. He felt one of those wonderfully nimble hands brushing his stomach. He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes.

"I'm going to kiss you," the Jounin whispered in his ear, lowering his mask and licking the brown shell. He was rewarded with a barely audible gasp and a small shiver. He smiled and licked again, running his tongue over the ear again. Not satisfied with that little taste, he traced a path down Iruka's brown throat and sucking lightly at the join of shoulder and neck. He tasted of warm honey and sweet lemons. He felt the small man move his head so Kakashi could have better access to his neck and smiled to himself. He leaned in further and felt Iruka arch forward, his hip hitting Kakashi's. _Looks as if I'm not the only one enjoying himself_.

He complied with the unspoken offer and nibbled his way back up the slender throat and to the softest lips he'd tasted. He took his time. First nipping at the corners and brushing his own across them. A small whimper escaped Iruka, one that sounded like a plea. Kakashi smiled again and decided he'd tortured the teacher enough. He took those lush lips with a low growl, forcing them open. He plundered the inside with his nimble tongue. Oh, God, he tasted of coffee and honey. _Was this man made of honey_? Kakashi didn't care. He continued to dip into the warm cavern.

Iruka couldn't believe he was allowing another man to kiss him. Never in his adult life had he ever let a man kiss him. He'd fooled around with Mizuki when they were children and they had later gotten girlfriends. It felt good. He let his thoughts go when he felt that tongue glide over his throat. It felt as if a hundred ants were marching across his sensitive skin. That hot tongue was making him feel warm. He arched his back wanting to get closer, bumping his hip into Kakashi's.

He nearly collasped when that hot tongue made it's way to his mouth. He groaned low in his throat. Please don't stop, he wanted to scream. Iruka dug into the tree, fearing if he let go, he would melt into the tree. He was breathless and whimpered when that mouth left his. He came back to his senses when he felt Kakashi pull away. He opened his eyes, watching the nin step back. He slumped against the tree and tried to catch his breath.

Kakashi blinked lazily and carefully covered his Sharingan. As much as he wanted to take the little teacher right then, he didn't think he could handle it. It was to much to fast. Iruka wasn't ready and the feelings that were coursing through him needed to be analyzed. He hadn't felt this way about anyone in a long time and it was disturbing.

"As much I would like to continue this...interrogation, I must leave," Kakashi murmured, taking another step back. "My laundry should be done by now. I'll catch you later, Iruka-san." Waving he leapt down a branch and left the stunned man behind.

"Catch me later?" Iruka whispered to himself, touching his lips as he slid down the tree.

(a) (a) (a)

Ohhhhhh...I had so much fun with this chapter. I hope you like it as much as I did. This started as a little brainstorm I had with my sister and it's taken off so well. I'm sorry to say that most of the intense scenes won't be in here. I will however post the racier versions on a dedicated page for those that want to read them.

For those that have read and reviewed: _Arigato guzaimas_!


	4. Interrogation

Whispering Illusions 

Chapter 4

Interrogation

(a) (a) (a)

After recovering enough to retrieve his forehead protector to stuff it in his back pocket, Iruka made his way back. He could use a drink, a good stiff one. What had he ever done to deserve the attentions of the most dangerous nin in the village? Pondering this turn of events, Iruka entered the village. Touching his lips again, he sighed. Damn if the man could kiss. Remembering why he had left his apartment, Iruka headed for the market.

By late afternoon, he had stocked his kitchen with edibles and cleaned the fridge. He really should clean it out more often. No telling when one of the new lifeforms would take a liking to human flesh. Washing his hands, he left his apartment for Ichiraku's. He could do with some miso pork ramen. It would make him feel better. Before long, he was happily slurping down his late lunch and taking sips from the cool green tea by his elbow. He chatted with the owner and was soon on his way, happily fed.

Wandering around the village, he didn't encounter Kakashi, which he was happy about. He was still shaken from earlier. By late afternoon, Iruka couldn't find anything better to do so he headed back home to fix a light meal and turn in early. He refused to think about what had happened that morning. He would plan out some training for the next few days and throw himself into it.

(a) (a) (a)

Genma took the report scroll from a young Jounin and waved him out the door. Glad that the day was finished and all that was left was to take the Genin team leaders reports, he filed away the few remaining reports and waited. Something he was having trouble with today. He wanted to tell every single person that had walked into the office about Kakashi's accident, but instead, bit the inside of his cheek. Catching a noise from outside, he turned toward the door as an arguing Kurenai and Asuma walked in.

"I'm not saying that I don't want to come over tonight, it's just that Shikamaru's mother asked me over for dinner," Asuma complained, the habitual cigarette hanging from his mouth.

Kurenai sniffed and handed her report to Genma. "Fine. Whatever."

"Now don't be like that, Kurenai!" Asuma wailed, tossing his report to the blinking Genma. "I'll make it up to you tomorrow night. I swear!"

The red eyed woman glared at Asuma for a moment then smiled. "You better, you ape. I want sake and sukiyaki."

Genma grinned hugely at the now stuttering Sarutobi. As the couple were arguing over where to go the next night, Anko, Izumo and Kotetsu strolled in, the two men staying a few steps behind the psychotic kuniochi. She touched the seal on her shoulder and shot a glance back at the cowering Jounins.

Rolling her eyes, she exclaimed, "What the hell is wrong with you two?"

Kotetsu gave her a sickly grin. "Nothing, Anko-sensei. Nothing at all."

"Bullshit. Spill it," she spat, propping her hip on Genma's desk.

Kotetsu looked at his friend and back to Anko. "Well, uh, I was wondering if you had plans for tonight? Not that I'm asking you out or anything, uh, but would you like to come with us to that new bar that opened up?" He pointed back at Izumo to make it clear who else was going. Smiling wickedly, she agreed. Kotetsu gulped and thanked her.

"You really shouldn't terrify the poor kid, Anko," Kurenai piped up, having finished her debate with Asuma. "Besides, he's cute, if you can disregard that strip of cloth over his nose." Laughing, the two kuniochi talked about their days as Genin.

Glad that his audience was all gathered, Genma cleared his throat. When he had their attention, the senbon dancing around his mouth, he said, "I've been sitting on this for most of the day, so I hope you all appreciate the pain this has caused me." He gave them a pained looked.

"What is it, Genma?" Kurenai asked, leaning into Asuma.

Anko sensed blood in the water and pierced Genma with her violet eyes. "I smell gossip and it's the kind I like. Spit it out, Gen-gen."

Genma winced at her pet name for him. "Don't call me that, Ko-ko." Her eye twitched at her old nickname. "Now, as I said before, I've waited all day for this." He leaned against one of the filing cabinets and grinned. "It seems that Kakashi is a peeper."

Kurenai and Anko gasped. Not their Kakashi! No! The two women had been part of the Kakashi fan club for years. They worshipped the ground he walked on. They had even fought over who was going to get the Jounin as they went through their Chuunin training. This was unthinkable.

"Who was he spying on?" Kotetsu asked, still trying to assimilate this stunning revelation.

"Oh it was more than spying," Genma elaborated. "Kakashi ran into Iruka at the training field near the monument yesterday. Iruka had been relieving his anger and tired himself out. Anyway, Kakashi was watching him. Iruka got pissed and stalked off. I'm betting Kakashi was thinking perverted thoughts." Genma dodged a kunai. "Anko, that wasn't funny."

"Don't talk about Kakashi-sensei that way!" she growled.

Keeping an eye on Anko, he continued, "Anyway, later Kakashi needed a spare change of clothes and since Iruka was the only one home, he went to ask him," Genma paused to let them stew. He watched them for a second to make sure that they were getting antsy, then spilled the rest. "As it happened, Iruka wasn't answering his door and Kakashi knew he was at home. So good ole Kakashi decides to go through a window. He found Iruka." By this time, the group was held rapt. There was nothing like a bunch of ninjas that thrived on gossip.

"Well?" Asuma prodded, lighting another cigarette.

"Well, Iruka had just finished his bath and was startled to see Kakashi looming in his window. When Kakashi was asking him for a change of clothes, Iruka threw his hairdryer at him," Genma said nonchalantly.

Anko screwed her face up. "Why the hell did he do that for?" No one could tell her anything bad about Kakashi.

Genma laughed evilly, a glint in his eyes. "Remember it was raining last night?" When they said yes, he finished his little tale. "You see, Iruka didn't just throw it at him, he threw it at his feet. Can you guess what happened after that?" _Oh, this is great_! "Kakashi, elite Jounin, former ANBU, and the most dangerous man in this village, was blown out of a Chuunin's bathroom window!"

Gasps filled the air. Anko and Kurenai had a deadly shine in their eyes. Everyone started to talk at once. None of them could believe that thier hero was taken down by a Chuunin, much less a teacher! Asuma was laughing so hard he dropped his cigarette. Izumo and Kotetsu just looked stunned and were talking amongst themselves. Anko and Kurenai were making plans to get back at the teacher.

_It was great to be the head of the Vine_.

(a) (a) (a)

Kakashi sneezed.

"I'll kill him. I swear to God, I will."

A small pug looked up from his perch on Kakashi's futon. "Kill who and why?"

Snarling, the Jounin tore into his steamed dumplings. He swallowed before answering. "Genma."

Pakkun perked an ear, but otherwise didn't move. "Genma?"

"Yes, Genma. He's told them, I just know it!" He ripped another dumpling apart.

Pakkun raised his head. "Told who what?"

Kakashi thought about not telling his long time partner about it, but, if he didn't, Pakkun would find a way to get the information. Tossing the now empty dumpling box into the trash, he drank the last of the sake in the bottle. Leaving his mask on the table, he pushed away from the little table and sprawled across the small space, laying his head on the futon.

"He's told the damn Vine about my little adventure last night," he groused, scratching his stomach.

Now Pakkun was even more interested. "Adventure?"

Looking up at the pug, Kakashi grimaced. "Yeah, adventure or should I say misadventure. I went to the monument yesterday and instead found Iruka beating the hell out of himself for losing his temper." Pakkun made a questioning woof. "He lost his temper with a girl that hit him with three kunai during an exercise. It cost him the rest of the year at the Academy." He placed a hand under his head. "I don't blame him though. Kids are annoying little bastards."

"Is that why you track Naruto around? Why you worry about Sasuke? Go over to Sakura's to give her some new medical jitsus?" Pakkun snorted.

Kakashi had the grace to blush, but glared at his friend. "That's different. Those are my kids now." Pakkun just huffed. "Besides, Iruka looks good all sweaty and tired looking."

"Spare me, please," Pakkun groaned, rolling over to stare at the ceiling. "So what is this adventure you were going on about?"

Kakashi told the little pug about the trouble he had and what the result of last night cost him. Then about his run in with Genma and Raidou. His eye twitched when the pug started to laugh. He didn't dare tell Pakkun about kissing Iruka.

"It's not that funny, Pakkun."

Pakkun stopped laughing long enough to loll his tongue out and pant a few times. "It's hilarious. To think that my master was taken out by a Chuunin. In a bath towel. With a blowdryer!" That sent the pug off into more woofs and whines. "And then you having to run around in that yukata all morning!"

Kakashi swatted at the dog, missing. "I'm going to the hot springs tomorrow. Want to come with me?"

Pakkun shook his head. "They don't allow dogs into the hot springs, you idiot."

Kakashi grinned. "Oh yeah."

(a) (a) (a)

A few days later saw Iruka training with Gai. He had asked the taijitsu master to help him. He never should have asked the man for his help. Gasping for breath, Iruka collasped onto the soft grass under an old oak. With it being hot, he had taken his shirt off and was using it to mop the sweat from his face. Gai jogged up to him and smiled at him.

"Are you all right, Iruka-sensei? I didn't think two hundred laps around the training field would tax you this much, not with you being in the springtime of your youth," he boomed, striking a pose with his hands on his hips.

"Gai-sensei, I'm not used to this much exercise," Iruka breathed heavily, still trying to catch his breath.

Gai looked puzzled. "Don't you chase those little munchkins around all day at the Academy? Surely they keep you on your toes?"

Iruka shot a glare at the smiling Jounin. "That's different. It doesn't take long to catch them and tie them up."

Gai boomed with laughter. "That's the spirit!"

"By the way, where is Lee?" Iruka asked, sitting up.

The Blue Beast sank to the ground, knowing he had gotten much more from the teacher than he had originally planned with this impromptu training session. He leaned back on his hands as he looked to the sky.

"My Lee is still recovering. After that incident with Kinimaro, he needed to finish his rehabilitation. Though what great spirit my student has!" Gai gushed.

Iruka winced a little. He liked the taijitsu master, even considered him a friend, but the man was way to overdramatic. Iruka smiled brightly at the grinning and weeping Gai.

"He is definitely worthy of being your student, Gai-san," Iruka murmured. "I've rested enough, so why don't we start on some basic taijitsu?"

Hearing his favorite words, Gai jumped up and put Iruka through several katas using his hands and feet to deflect his rapid fire kicks and punches. He was surprised at the Chuunin's reflexes, being faster than he expected. I_ guess being around unruly children made you get faster or lose an eye or some other body part_. Ducking down, Gai lashed out with a right leg to sweep Iruka from his feet, not surprised when he jumped up and shot a quick low roundhouse kick to his head. Gai ducked, leaning back, using the motion to swing back and lift his feet for a double upward kick. Iruka leapt back and took a defensive stance, waiting for the Jounin to get his feet under him. As Gai gained his feet, he jumped forward, throwing a series of straight punches into Iruka's chest.

Iruka wasn't fast enough to dodge some of the punches and was thrown back a few steps. Using this small reprieve, he formulated a quick offense. As Gai came at him again, he dropped. Not expecting this, Gai jumped up sailing over the teacher. Iruka smiled and kicked straight up, catching Gai in the chest throwing him off balance. Not letting this opportunity pass him by, he kicked again, hitting Gai's hip and spinning him around to scrape across the grass on his back. Iruka jumped to his feet.

Feeling dizzy, he immediately dropped to his knees. Squeezing his eyes shut, he waited for the world to stop spinning. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright, Iruka-san?" Gai asked, concern lacing his words.

"I'm just a little dizzy. I'll be alright in a minute," he replied, looking up and smiling.

Gai decided to call an end to their training. After planning another session the next day, Gai wished his new student well and took off running, saying something about keeping a promise. Iruka laughed to himself and sat until he felt he could stand. A little wobbly in the legs, he gathered his discarded shirt and a bottle of water from under the oak. Stretching, he went back home. He was very hungry and there was some left over ramen in the fridge with his name on it.

Showered and fed, Iruka sat reading on the couch. Since his duties were suspended, he'd stayed at home catching up with his newest book. He hadn't been out for a while nor had he seen anyone from the mission office recently. It was still early, so he put the book down and headed out. The last few nins should be coming in with thier reports, so that meant the Vine would be in session shortly. Come to think about it, he hadn't heard much of anything floating around the Vine in the last week. Usually there was always something on the Vine. Curious, Iruka increased his pace.

Reaching the stairs to the office, Iruka ran into Anko and Kurenai. They looked at him and giggled. _What the hell_ _was that about_? The went into the office ahead of him still giggling. Asuma, Izumo and Kotetsu were leaning against a wall, Asuma smoking a cigarette and commenting on the new technique Ino had worked out. When Iruka stepped in, they went quiet.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" he asked, reaching up to inspect his face. Kurenai burst out laughing, Anko following right behind her. Iruka glared at them, placing his hand on his hips. "Alright, what's so damn funny?" he demanded.

Genma chuckled to his left, the senbon dancing. "Probably about your little fight with Kakashi."

Iruka blushed and stuttered, "F...fight?"

Anko sidled up next to him, a look of pure delight in her eyes. "Yes, Iruka-san, your fight." She smiled.

Iruka turned white. That woman was scary when she smiled. "Um..."

"Oh! You must tell us what happened, Iruka-san," Kurenai purred, coming up on the other side of him. "And tell us everything." She flicked a finger under his chin.

Iruka gulped and backed into a wall, the two kuniochi crowding close. It didn't help his nerves that the men cam up behind the women. _Shit, how had they found out about that_?

"Alright, alright," he cried. "Kakashi found me and tried to pummel me. He punched me and I ran. He caught me and then kissed me!" Everyone blinked and took a step back with blank expressions on thier faces. "What?" he asked a little shakily.

"What do you mean 'kissed' you?" Anko demanded, sticking her face into his.

Iruka gulped. He was in trouble, he just knew it. "Well, you know, he kissed me. On the mouth." He looked to either side of the psychotic woman's head, anywhere but her eyes. He was bright red and it was getting very hot in the office.

Kurenai and Anko let out twin squeals of disbelief, Asuma looked confused, Kotetsu and Izumo looked stunned, and Genma cackled in glee. They all were looking at him with mixed expressions, but the most prominent was curiousity. _Oh God_! _What now_? He blushed redder and looked down at his feet.

Genma pushed his way to Iruka's side and slapped an arm around his shoulders. "I knew he was like that, but I didn't know you were like that, too." Genma grinned at him, waggling his eyebrows up and down.

Iruka snarled and threw the arm off. "I'm not! Well, not really. Oh hell! I don't know anymore!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air.

Genma made a sound low in his throat. "Have you heard anything from the Vine this last week?"

"No," Iruka said petulantly. Anko and Kurenai were looking at him weird. "Will you two stop that. It makes me nervous."

"Well, the little incident with the blowdryer was all over the village," Genma supplied, putting a hand on Iruka's shoulder. "You haven't been out much have you?"

"No." Iruka did a double take. "What do you mean the incident with the blowdryer? How the hell did you find _that_ out?" He fixed the Jounin with his best teacher glare.

Giggling, Genma related his run in with the yukata wearing Kakashi the morning after. He then told him that he had kept it quiet until the Vine vice-captains had come in. "And let me tell you that it was painful. Keeping that kind of thing to myself all day." Throughout his narrative, Genma hadn't paid much attention to Iruka. He never felt the punch coming.

"You asshole! That's why he was pissed enough to track me down and try to beat the shit out of me!" Iruka yelled, standing over the Jounin. "It's all your fault!" Anko and Asuma grabbed him as he lunged at the backpedaling Genma. "I'll kill you!"

"Now, Iruka," Asuma soothed, struggling to hold onto the irrate teacher. "He didn't mean to do that. Did you Genma?" he asked, fixing him with a look.

Genma wiped blood from his lip as he stood. The senbon had stabbed into his gums as he was thrown back. He hadn't known Iruka could move that fast. "Truly, I didn't mean to make him mad. Just, I don't know, ruffle his feathers."

During the whole exchange, Izumo and Kotetsu stood silent. Things were getting really good. Iruka was gay, Kakashi had kissed Iruka after trying to beat him up, and Iruka had nailed Genma. They couldn't wait to tell the others. They smiled at Kurenai, who was steadily blinking her red eyes. They turned back to the little tableau as Iruka let out a howl of rage. Giggling, they watched Genma take a step back.

"I swear to God, Genma, I'll get you for this!" Iruka yelled, trying to get out of the elite's grasp. "Mark my words, you gossip, don't turn your back on me for a while. You know what I'm capable of," he warned, his eyes so deep a brown they were almost black.

Genma whimpered and took another step back. He put his desk between him and Iruka. He knew all about Iruka's tricks. He'd grown up with him, went to the Academy together. Oh, yes, he knew all about Iruka's revenge schemes. He was terrified. He felt sick, his skin taking on a green tint.

Anko looked between the two and wondered what this was all about. What the hell was all this fear coming from Genma? _Was Iruka that dangerous_? She looked at the normally mild-mannered teacher in a new light. If he was that terrifying, why was he still Chuunin? This made her want to know all about Iruka, her curiousity peaked. She shared a look with Kurenai, silently they made plans to meet later and discuss this new piece of information.

"Oh, hello," a new voice said from the doorway. Every head turned toward the newcomer. Giggles and then outright laughter hit Kakashi in a wave. He noticed Asuma and Anko holding onto a livid Iruka. _What was this about_? he wondered. "I heard the shouting and came to find out what the racket was about." He smiled, his visible eye crinkling.

Iruka growled in a new rage. He twisted his arms out of the twin Jounin grips and stormed out the door, Kakashi stepping out of his way. He watched as he fled down the stairs, finally losing sight of him as he turned a corner. He looked back into the office and was pinned with looks from all the people gathered there.

"Uh, what was that all about?" he asked, grinning and rubbing the back of his head. He could guess what it was about, but not the reason Genma was terrified and bleeding or why Anko was staring out the door with a decidedly evil look in her eyes. He really wanted to know what this was all about.

Asuma lit another cigarette, saying, "Funny you should ask, Kakashi." He took a hit off the cigarette, looking at him out of the corner of his eye. "Since when have you ever lost your temper and took it out on Chuunin teachers? Punching them, chasing them and then kissing them silly?"

Kakashi blushed. _Shit_! Looking up, he started to back out the door, holding his hands out. He was stopped by Anko blocking his path. He looked at her nervously. She really was scary when she had that look in her eyes.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" he asked, chuckling nervously and backing into a corner. He blanched at the chorus of negatives. Before he could form a seal, Anko grabbed his hands and held them apart. "Oh, I'm really not going to like this at all."

He whimpered as the pack of Jounins descended on him.

(a) (a) (a)

If this seems a little out of character, it is. This fic is situated right before Naruto is taken away by Jiraiya for his three year apprenticeship and right before the two and a half year time jump in the manga. So there are a lot of things that went on that no one knows about. XP You can shoot me after I finish this fic. : p


	5. Revenge

Whispering Illusions 

Chapter 5

Revenge

(a) (a) (a)

Stratching, Genma grimaced. He should have known better. He never should have went to sleep last night.

Raidou had left on a mission early the day after Iruka's warning so hadn't been home for three days. Fearing for his life, Genma had stayed awake as long as possible. Three nights of sleepless worry had finally taken a toll on his body. After a light dinner, he had dozed off on the couch. A few hours later, he woke to a horrible itching. Eyes going wide, he looked to the clock. He'd slept for five hours, enough time for Iruka to break in and plant the itching powder on him.

Itching like mad now, Genma ran to the shower. Relieved somewhat of the itching, he shampooed his hair. As he watched the suds run off his body he noticed red mixed with the suds. Pulling his hands away, he blinked at the red dye staining his hands and no doubt his hair and face. Groaning, Genma grabbed his soap and scrubbed. Getting most of it off, except for an unsightly blood red tint to his hair and the pink sunburn gracing his face, he looked normal. His hands...he would have to wear gloves for the next week.

Drying off, he found his clothes and slipped them on. He was going to be late for work if he didn't hurry. Gaining the stairs of the mission office, he started to itch again. _God damn that Iruka_! He'd put itching powder in his clothes! He had to be at work today, but maybe he could get Kotetsu to cover for him. He had to get rid of the itching before it drove him insane. It didn't take long to find him, in fact he ran right into him.

Kotetsu excused himself, stopped and raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter, Genma?" He knew, he just wanted to hear Genma say it. The man had been on pins and needles the last three days.

Genma moaned and stratched harder at his hip. "He got me. He's been waiting for his chance and he got it." He rubbed harder and winced, sure he had worn the skin off by now. "I fell asleep and he put itching powder in my clothes."

Kotets snickered, pointing at Genma's hair. "And he got to your shampoo too. Lovely shade, by the way."

Genma slapped his hand away. "Just cover for me until I get back. I need to take a bath again and buy some new clothes. I'm not chancing any of my clothes at home until I get them to the laundry." With the last said in a pitiful whine, Genma ran for the nearest clothing store.

Kotetsu couldn't hold it back anymore. He laughed until tears came to his eyes. If he were Genma, he wouldn't come back in until he rid himself of the ridiculous red hair. Still laughing, he climbed the stairs to the mission office and went about handing out missions.

(a) (a) (a)

Iruka was happy. He'd had his revenge. Genma was suffering and would continue to suffer for a couple of more days. It was nothing compared to what he had put him through. He frowned. As it happened, he hadn't seen hide nor hair of Kakashi since the night at the mission office. Not that he cared, it was just strange that he hadn't come by to torment him. Still wondering, Iruka spotted Gai on the training field. Calling out, Iruka hurried over.

"Are you ready to train today, Gai-sensei?" Iruka asked with a smile. When he didn't get an answer, he looked to Gai again. Was he crying? _Why_ was he crying? "Gai-sensei?"

Gai sniffed and blinked his teary eyes at Iruka. "Iruka-san, how could you? You've started a rivalry with my Eternal Rival, Hatake Kakashi! Already you've won against that esteemed shinobi." Wiping his eyes, he placed a hand on Iruka's shoulder. He stared into his eyes intently. "You must tell me how you thought of such a strategy to defeat him."

Iruka laughed nervously. "Well, he came in through my window and was dripping water on the floor, so I just tossed my hairdryer into the water."

Gai gushed. "Ingenious! To think that a Chuunin of your level could defeat such a one as my Eternal Rival and with such a simple thing!" Gai slapped his back, staggering the smaller man. "You are definitely a devious man, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka blushed, not sure how whether to take the last as an insult or a compliment. Not wanting to ruin his good mood, he chose to take it as a compliment. "Thanks, I think. What are we going to work on today, Gai-sensei?"

"You must call me Gai, Iruka-san," Gai boomed. "We are going to train your upper body today. Your quick enough on your feet, you just need to work that nearly unflexible upper frame. Then you will be able to dodge and move through anything. Not to mention you'll be able to catch those skillful little ninjas-in-training faster."

Laughing, both men did warm up stretches and jogged around the training field a few times to get the blood pumping. Flushed and energized, Iruka listened as Gai explained a simple exercise called the Cobra Rising. He went flat on his stomach and placed his hands just under his shoulders. Keeping his legs together, he lifted, stretching forward and up bringing his hips to his planted hands. With his back arched and his head held back, Gai told him to hold that position for a beat of ten and then slowly lower himself back to his original position. They did this exercise until Iruka's arms started to shake. Just as he was about to collapse, Gai called a break.

After a short lunch break, Gai pulling out some rice balls and green tea, they started on push-ups. After fifty, Iruka was sweating. After sixty he was panting. At seventy-five, he couldn't lift himself anymore. He lay there as he watched Gai finish off two hundred without breaking a sweat. Another break and they were on stomach crunches. And then a few dozen pull-ups. Finally, they ended with backward stretches. Iruka marveled at Gai's ability to nearly fold double. He couldn't get past his head past his hips.

"And we are finished for the day," Gai said, watching as Iruka slowly leaned forward again. "I want you to practice these exercises for the next three days. I have a mission and I won't be here to supervise your training. By the fourth day, I want you able to do twenty more of each exercise."

Iruka gasped. "I...I can't do that!"

Gai posed with his arms akimbo and smiled. Iruka could swear his teeth glinted in the afternoon light. "You will or you will do 30 laps around the village in the middle of the night with no light to guide you."

"You're insane," Iruka whispered, not able to believe this turn of events.

Gai grinned. "If I don't set a condition, would you be able to do get stronger?"

Iruka groaned, lifting a bottle of water to his lips. "I guess not. Is this how you trained your Genins?" Iruka watched him from the corner of his eye.

Laughing loudly, the Jounin clapped Iruka on the shoulder, sending him to a knee and the water bottle flying. "Sorry. I trained my Lee that way. Neji is a genius so things came easier to him. Ten-Ten is a wonderful kuniochi and is strong. She knows her limits. It was Lee that I had to work with. With him not able to do genjitsu, he was perfect for my group. A lot like Kakashi's Genins," Gai said, taking up their trash and disposing of it in a nearby trash can.

Wishing Gai a good mission, Iruka dragged his tired body back home. It had been a long day and he just wanted to soak in a hot bath to ease the screaming muscles in his arms and shoulders. Opening his apartment door, Iruka noticed two things. One, someone was in his apartment and second, he smelled something good. No one in their right mind would break into a nin's place of residence, unless they wanted to do them bodily harm, but they wouldn't be cooking for them. Slipping his sandals off, Iruka turned the corner.

"Yo."

"You're the only one that would break into my house and cook me dinner. I'm _so_ lucky," Iruka remarked sarcastically, sniffing at the air. "Do I have 'Jounin Bait' written on my forehead?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Not that I can see. Would you like it written there?"

Glaring, Iruka pushed past his intruder and wandered into the kitchen. "Curry and rice. I haven't had this in a while." Iruka looked for a spoon to try the curry. Before he could dip into it, Kakashi was shoving him out of his kitchen. "Hey!"

"Not until you've bathed. You smell," Kakashi said, pushing him into the bedroom. "And I promise not to peek this time." He ducked a fist and closed the door in Iruka's face.

(a) (a) (a)

Just a short chapter this time. I writing this really late at night and I'm just a little fuzzy. I do think my revenge scheme fit with the old Iruka. Things will get even more hilarious as the next few chapters come along. More Genma abuse and I might even throw in some more Chuunin vs. Jounin since the score stands at 2-1. I can already see what I'm going to do to those two. XD

And neji, I can't remember anymore. I'm currently addlepated. Ask me again later. XP


	6. Unmask

Whispering Illusions 

Chapter Six

Unmask

(a) (a) (a)

Grumbling under his breath, Iruka gathered up some old sweats. He showered quickly, not trusting the perverted man in his kitchen. After dressing, he walked out drying his hair with a towel. He really needed to get a new hairdryer. With the towel draped around his shoulders he plopped onto the couch, laying his head back and sighing. It felt good to be clean and relaxed, he thought, as muscles slowly unwound.

Sensing something near his nose, Iruka swatted at it, not wanting to open his eyes. A few seconds later the tickle came again. A frown creasing his brow, he swatted again and felt something soft brush the back of his hand. Damn fly. Wait, there aren't any flies in my apartment. Muttering to himself, Iruka waited for the tickle to come again, stretching his senses to catch when the next tickle would come. He remained as passive as he could, not wanting to alert his tormentor. A faint sense of movement to his left. Cloth scraping cloth. _There_! Iruka's hand shot up and left, grabbing Kakashi's hand.

"I'm bone tired and hungry. Don't mess with me until I'm fed," Iruka said, lifting his head and glaring.

He just couldn't help tormenting the teacher. He was just so damn cute when he was angry. Kakashi refused to believe the speed at which the Chuunin had used to catch him. He'd masked his presence or at least he thought he had. But where had that speed come from and how? How did he know where to grab?

Kakashi smiled to hide his inner turmoil, replying, "Alright, alright. Feed, then torment. Got it." He looked down at Iruka's hand covering his wrist. "If you wanted to hold hands, all you had to do was ask."

Iruka blushed and sputtered, releasing the wrist as if it were going to bite him. "You are _such_ a sick minded individual."

"Do you think so? I try my best," Kakashi quipped lightly.

Iruka blinked once and muttered under his breath about insane Jounins and their perverted habits. Then his mind wound back around as to why this Jounin was in his apartment.

"What the hell are you doing in my apartment?" Iruka asked. Standing, he brushed his still damp hair behind his ears.

"Making dinner."

"Try again." Iruka crossed his arms.

"Visiting?" Kakashi tried.

"_Annnnk_. Wrong answer." His eye started to twitch as well as his right foot.

Kakashi slouched, putting a hand in his pocket, the other hand running through his messy silver hair. _This was going **so** well_. If he didn't tell him the truth, he was likely to get electrocuted again. "Ah, well, I just wanted to apologize for hitting you the other day." He blushed a very bright pink.

Iruka stopped twitching and sighed. _At least it was honest, if not what I wanted to hear_. "Alright, I guess that's as much as I can expect. But really, breaking into my apartment isn't the best way to apologize to me." His stomach rumbled. Blushing he said, "Though cooking can go a long way to thinking of forgiving you."

Smiling wide behind his mask, Kakashi rushed into the kitchen and prepared a plate of curry for Iruka. More than happy to flee those laughing brown eyes. _He wouldn't say that if he knew what I wanted to do to him right now_. _Why does he have to look so damn **good** with his hair down_? Returning to the livingroom, he set the plate on the table in front of Iruka and handed him a spoon when he sat down.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Iruka asked, pointing the spoon at Kakashi as he came back with mugs of cool tea.

Eye crinkling at the corners, he said, "I've eaten already." Giving voice to his lie, his stomach protested loudly. He had the grace to look embarrassed.

Iruka sighed angrily. "Get some food, Kakashi," he commanded. "I can't eat in front of a hungry man." When Kakashi still hadn't made himself anything, Iruka huffed and stomped into the kitchen. Coming back with a plate, he set it down opposite his. "Eat."

Kakashi stared at the plate with hunger. He hadn't eaten anything since breakfast and was starving. He'd gone without food before, but since his 'vacation', he'd eaten every time he even felt a slight hunger. He loved curry, too. But he couldn't eat. Not in front of Iruka. _What if he doesn't like my face_? _What if he sees my father_?_ Idiot, Iruka's to young to remember anything like that_!

"Will you just eat?" Iruka griped, watching the older man.

"I can't," Kakashi whispered.

"Why not? It's easy," saying this, Iruka leaned over and jerked the fabric down Kakashi's face. "See?" Iruka smiled into the shocked face. He tried not to stare. He was jaw dropping gorgeous, but he hid it. _Why_? He noticed the scar marring his thin lips.

"Why are you blinking so much?" Kakashi asked, feeling naked with the mask gone. It felt funny to be talking to someone without it.

Iruka stopped his reverie and smiled again. "I've just never seen your face before. It took me a second to assimilate it." Picking up his spoon, he took a bite of the curry, encouraging Kakashi to do the same. After a few bites, he asked, "Why do you wear that thing anyway?"

"For the mystery," Kakashi answered, taking another bite.

"Bullshit, Kakashi. You've worn that thing for longer than I can remember," Iruka snapped, more than a little tired of the lies. "Are you ashamed of your face?" Kakashi dropped his spoon with a clatter. Narrowing his eye, he slowly pulled his mask back up. But not before Iruka saw the anger lining his mouth. _Oh shit_.

"I have things to do," Kakashi drawled as he made his way to the door and slipped his sandals on.

"Kakashi," Iruka started.

"See you later, Iruka-san," he called cheerfully from the door. With a quiet click, Kakashi was gone.

"I'm sorry," Iruka said to the empty room.

Looking at the half eaten food, his cursed himself. He was such a fucking idiot! Why had he said that? He was always saying the wrong thing. Damn his mouth. Taking the dishes into the kitchen, he dumped the food and put the rest in the fridge. He was tired, irritated and hurt. He needed to sleep on this and then go apologize to Kakashi tomorrow. He hadn't meant to hurt him. Turning out the lights, Iruka headed to bed with a heavy heart.

(a) (a) (a)

**_Why are you running away_**? **_He's only said what you've been to afraid to say_**.

_Shut up_! Kakashi screamed at his mind. _I never should have let him take the mask off_.

**_You wanted him to, you liar_**. **_Y__ou wanted him to see your face_**. **_And what did you see in his eyes when he looked at you for the first time_**?

_He was stunned and then he turned a little red_. _But he didn't pull back in revulsion, it was almost as if he was entranced_. _Wait, didn't I tell you to shut up_?

**_The first signs of complete lunacy is talking to yourself_**. The inner voice laughed hauntingly as it faded away.

Half laughing, half sobbing, Kakashi entered his little apartment, not caring that the door was still open. Sprawling across the bed face first, he buried his head in his pillow and repeatedly banged it against it.

"Is that a new stress relief technique?" a familiar and unwelcome voice asked from the door.

Kakashi stopped banging his head, but didn't lift it. "What do you want, Anko?" he drawled, his voice muffled in the pillow.

Anko sauntered in, spun, and sat on the bed next to her idol and quasi-friend. "I just wanted to check up on your and Iruka's relationship." She slanted him a sidelong look as he turned toward her.

"What are you talking about, Anko?" Kakashi asked turning and propping his head up on a hand.

Anko snorted and turned toward him more, leaning down on an elbow. "I'm talking about you breaking into his apartment and cooking him dinner." She smiled at his dumbfounded expression. "Iruka intrigues me. I want to know why a Chuunin like him was given twelve A-rank missions and was allowed into our meetings. And his closeness to the Sandaime was a mystery." She stared into his gray eye with her deep violet ones as they lit with a hunter's light. "I'm going to find out."

Giving her his best bored look he queried, "And this has what to do with me?"

Giving him a feral grin, Anko leaned even closer. "Oh, nothing really. I just wanted to know if Konoha's most dangerous shinobi was screwing his biggest rival yet." She watched the stunned expression on Kakashi's face. He looked rather cute like that or at least what you could see of his face. "I'll take that as a 'No'. Well, as my question was answered, I'll leave you to your stress relief."

Kakashi sat frozen. He didn't move as Anko stood and walked to the door. He still hadn't moved as she giggled and closed the door behind her. An hour later he finally fell over, not because he wanted to, only for the fact that his arm had fallen asleep.

_Why are they picking on me_? he whined.

(a) (a) (a)

I've been a little busy lately, so I'm late updating. I mostly wrote this as I was half asleep, so don't blame me for the wackiness and shortness. I blame the creature that lives in my brain. I call it BOB.

Hopefully this chapter will be well liked. And things will just start to get racier from here on out, so look for the links to the 'not allowed on FF' at the bottom of the chapter.

Sayonara for now!


	7. Want

Whispering Illusions 

Chapter Seven

Want

(a) (a) (a)

His time was up. Gai-sensei would be there any second and he hadn't done what he was told to do. What was he going to do? Sweating already in the morning heat, Iruka waited for his trainer. It wasn't long before the bushy eye-browed Jounin came into sight.

"It is a beautiful and wonderful morning for our training, isn't it, Iruka-san?" Gai boomed as he jogged closer. "Are you ready?"

Iruka gave him a sick smile and nodded. There was no way he was going to complete the extra twenty cobra stretches, push-ups and pull-ups. Sobbing to himself, Iruka set out after the fading Gai. Two hours and a torn bicep later, Iruka gulped cool water from his bottle. Placing the bottle on his right bicep, he sighed in relief. He had completed the extra twenty stretches and push-ups, but right as he reached fifty pull-ups, his right bicep had torn. Wincing in pain, he had finished the last pull-up one handed and dropped to the ground.

"I have never seen someone work this hard besides my brilliant student, Lee," Gai gushed, tears sparkling in his eyes. "You inspire me Iruka!"

Laughing, Iruka said, "You're embarrassing me, Gai."

Gai sniffed and smiled, teeth flashing in the afternoon light. "We can't have that!"

Both men laughed and parted, agreeing to meet in a week's time to allow Iruka's arm to heal. Not as stiff as his last training session, Iruka decided to have dinner at Ichiraku's. He had missed their miso pork ramen and was hungry enough to eat a few bowls. Reaching the little stall, Iruka smiled at the waitress and ordered his food. While waiting, he ordered some warm sake to take the soreness from his muscles.

"Yo!" a familiar voice whispered in his ear.

"Gah!" Iruka squealed, jumping. "Not so close, Kakashi!" He smiled unsteadily. "What brings you to Ichiraku's?"

Kakashi grinned, his visible eye crinkling. He noticed Iruka's pulse jump as he settled back into his seat. "I was hungry and I'm to lazy to cook tonight." _Only because my fridge was empty_, he muttered to himself.

"Oh," Iruka muttered, sipping his sake.

Kakashi ordered miso ramen and sake. He watched as Iruka lifted the chopsticks to his lips, as he slowly slurped the noodles into his mouth and chewed. He ate daintily, taking small bites and chewing them thoroughly before swallowing them. Kakashi stared as Iruka's throat worked. That smooth brown column was nicely tanned and slender. He knew it was soft to the touch, but he wanted to touch it again. To kiss and lick his way up to that perfect mouth, to take that wonderfully mobile tongue between his teeth and bite down on it gently.

Iruka's eye twitched as he caught Kakashi staring at him. He could see that gray eye going black and knew what he was thinking. Something perverted and it had him featured in it. Swallowing the food in his mouth, Iruka carefully wove his foot into Kakashi's stool. Taking another bite to hide his smile and hoping the man would take it as a sign of appreciating his food, Iruka jerked his foot back. He nearly choked at the look of horror in Kakashi's eye as he flew back and squawked in distress. Catching his balance, Iruka almost frowned when he righted the stool with a little wobble and settled back into place.

"That's what you get, Hatake," Iruka declared. He sipped his sake to hide the huge grin on his face.

"Hnn," was all he got.

"What were you thinking anyway? Something perverted I bet," Iruka said with a little sniff.

Kakashi blinked and tried not to blush. Was he that easy to read? He would have to watch it around the smaller man. "As a matter of fact, I was thinking about wanting to ki-" he was cut off as Iruka slapped a hand over his mouth.

Iruka blushed scarlet. "Shhh!" Kakshi grinned under the hand and nibbled at it, making Iruka blush more and jerk his hand away.

His food in a container, he tossed money onto the counter and grabbed Iruka. "We've got something to talk about."

Iruka was to stunned to say anything as the Jounin dragged him from the stall and down the street. Shaking his momentary lapse, he dug his feet into the dirt. Realizing that wasn't going to work, Iruka just let Kakashi drag him. No sense in wasting the energy. In fact he was intrigued as to why the older man wanted to talk to him. His heart was still trying to calm itself from those little bites Kakashi had given him. His palm was still tingling. Coming back to reality, Iruka noticed that they were near the training grounds and weren't moving anymore. He also noticed that Kakashi wasn't letting go of his hand either.

"Um, so what did you want to talk to me about, Kakashi?" Iruka finally asked.

Kakashi turned to him and slitted an eye at him. "I want you."

Baffled, Iruka blinked at him. "Want me to what?"

Kakashi smiled to himself. _So innocent_. "I want you." He pulled his mask down. "I just want you."

Stunned, Iruka couldn't move as he watched Kakashi come closer. His handsome face filling his view. "Y...you want me?" He took a step back and came up against a tree. _When had that happened_? "Why me?" he whispered, pressing into the tree.

Kakashi narrowed his eye and stepped closer, pressing a knee between Iruka's. "You're not that innocent, Iruka, are you?" he whispered, leaning even closer.

Iruka swallowed hard. "Wha..what are you tal..talking about?" He tried to melt into the tree.

Kakashi flicked his tongue out and licked Iruka's ear, tasting the salty sweetness of his skin. "I want you. Right now." So saying he ran a hand down the other man's arm and across his stomach.

Iruka knew that. Had known it for these last weeks. He shuddered as Kakashi ran a hand under his shirt to lightly play across his stomach and higher. He felt that white hand, hot against his skin, tracing lazy lines up his chest. He gasped when he felt fingers pinch his nipples, feeling them harden in response. He closed his eyes and groaned low in his throat. _Oh God_! That same hand was now roaming back down his chest to the waistband of his pants. Holding back a gasp he felt fingers lightly dip just under the band.

Kakashi watched as a deep flush came over Iruka's face. It was so easy to read the man wanted him. A sensual smile playing across his thin lips, he leaned forward and captured Iruka's lips in a tender kiss, running his tongue lightly over his lips asking for entrance. With very little hesitation, the man opened his mouth and Kakashi thrust his tongue in to taste the honeyed cave. He was slightly surpised as Iruka's tongue entwined with his, dancing across one another.

With a low moan, Iruka raised a hand to hook around Kakashi's neck to pull him closer. With his free hand, he ran it up Kakashi's chest and up to his silver hair. Shifting his hips, Iruka let Kakashi sink even closer into him, pressing him back into the tree. He heard something drop near his feet, but he didn't care. He wanted the silver-haired shinobi so much it was almost painful. He deepened the kiss, hearing a surprised grunt from Kakashi.

Kakashi pulled back slightly and nipped at Iruka's lips, earning a mewl of hunger from the small man. With both of his hands free, he used them to dive under Iruka's vest and shirt, running his fingers across that tight stomach, up his side, and finally to his ultimate goal. He smiled and swiftly took Iruka's mouth with his in a deep kiss to quell the other's sudden cry as he pinched the twin nipples hard. He felt them tighten instantly and soothed them with a light caress, gently rubbing a thumb across them. He needed more and he couldn't get what he wanted right here on the training field. Iruka was more than ready for it, but this was Kakashi's game and he intended to win it.

With that thought, he continued to play with Iruka as he kissed, nipped and licked his way down the man's slender neck. He had lifted the shirt enough that it was bunched under the other's arms as he braced himself against the tree. Little moans of pleasure were escaping Iruka's throat as Kakashi continued down. He felt him arch into his mouth as he nipped his collarbone. A smile still playing about those teasing lips, he carefully took a brown nipple in his mouth and flicked his tongue across it. He felt Iruka jerk and the immediate jump in his already rapidly beating heart.

Iruka nearly left his skin. He kept his screams in as Kakshi's flexible tongue teased and lapped at his nipple and as the other hand alternately pinched and soothed the other. He was going to melt where he stood if Kakashi didn't stop soon. He could feel his knees shaking and he knew that he was slowly falling down the tree. The only thing keeping him anchored was Kakashi pressed against him and Iruka's hands holding tight to his shoulders. _Oh God_, _please don't let him stop_!

Kakashi stopped his torture and came back to Iruka's lips, feeling the light weight man sagging from pleasure. Pushing him against the tree again, he carefully removed his hands from Iruka, running them down his chest and stomach, lowering his shirt and straightening his vest. Placing light nips and teasing kisses on Iruka's lips, he leaned down and picked up his nearly forgotten dinner. He noticed for the first time his rapid heart beat and the sweat forming on his brow. He replaced his mask with casual disinterest and took a step back.

Iruka used the tree to keep his balance. He took some rapid breaths to steady his racing pulse and blushed at his wanton thoughts of Kakashi taking him then and there against that same tree. He blushed at that and tugged his already neat clothes back into place. Taking another breath, he risked a glance at Kakashi.

"You're not ready," was all Kakashi said as he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Iruka burst out, a hand out as if to stop the other man.

Kakashi looked over his shoulder with a typically lazy look. "Hai?"

Iruka was at a loss. He didn't know what he wanted to say and just blushed again and shook his head. "Nothing."

Shrugging, Kakashi left the small man, a feral smile playing under his mask. Oh, yes. Things were defintely starting to work the way he wanted them to be played. With a flippant wave, he walked away for home and his now cold dinner.

Iruka stood under the tree for a while, trying to sort out his thoughts and feelings. He wanted Kakashi, but it seemed as if he was only being toyed with. Kakashi sought him out at odd times and either tried to hit him, kiss him, or both. He was becoming confused as to why the Copy Nin was torturing him. True they had hated each other for years, but why the sudden turn around in his attitude? It was something to think on in the coming days.

Touching his lips, Iruka shook his head and made his way home to his cold, empty bed.

(a) (a) (a)

Gomen! I was out of town after the holidays and just made it back a little over a week ago. Hopefully this chapter will tide you over until I can find the pages I've written for our little love birds. Until then, be a little more patient with me and I promise to give you some really juicy and steamy scenes.

As this fic has progressed, I have tried to keep the characters intact. Kakashi is a loner, but he also has a rather weird sense of humor. He loves to play around with people to get thier reactions. Iruka is just a simple school teacher, but there has always been this mystery surrounding his involvement with the Sandaime and the trust he was given. Keep this in mind as later chapters come about. We will find out something about the lovable Dolphin that may shock some. grins

Arigato to all my reviewers and thier patience. Until the next chapter, ja ne.


	8. Campout

Whispering Illusions 

Chapter Eight

Camp

(a) (a) (a)

Genma curled against the warm cushion. Sighing happily, he wrapped his arms around it and snuggled closer. It was a simple pleasure to wake up this way, though his partner didn't think so. Raidou grunted and turned over, dislodging Genma enough to get an arm under the man and lift him onto his chest.

"Will you wake up already, Genma?" he muttered, his other hand rubbing across his scarred face.

"No. It's so nice and warm," Genma whined, rubbing his face on Raidou's equally scarred chest.

Raidou grinned and continued with thier morning ritual. "You'll be late if you keep that up, Gen." He looked down on his lover with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

Genma looked up at him and smiled cattily. "Is that a challenge?"

Raidou laughed and slapped Genma's naked ass and rolled out of bed. If he didn't hurry he would be late himself. "Up, you wicked cat! We'll be late!" He disappeared into the bathroom and ran the water for thier morning shower. He checked the shampoo and soap for anymore of the red dye Iruka had planted a week earlier.

After a few playfull kisses, the couple had breakfast and dressed for work. They left the apartment and headed for the mission office. Running into Kotetsu and Izumo on the way, the group talked of inane matters as they entered the office. They were surprised to see Asuma and Gai waiting for them.

Asuma stood and didn't wait for the greetings as he said, "We need to have a campout."

Genma blinked a few times before it sunk in. "A campout?"

"Yeah, like we used to. I'll bring the drinks and food," Asuma replied, pulling a cigarette out of his pack. "We'll camp down past the back fields. You know, back in the deep."

Genma smiled hugely. "That sounds like a good idea. Who's all coming?"

Asuma lit his smoke and blew it out in a ring. "Well, it's just us guys, so all of us, Iruka and Gai. And bring some more booze," he added, taking another drag.

Raidou looked a little confused. "Camping back in the deep? What are you talking about?"

Genma hugged Raidou's arm close and smiled up at him. "You'll like it. It's our special camping spot." He turned back to Asuma. "We'll bring as much as we can carry."

Kotetsu had a frown on his face. He looked to Asuma. "What about Kakashi? Isn't he coming too?"

Asuma looked to Genma and Raidou. "Well? Should we?"

Gai couldn't keep quiet anymore. "You have to let him come! I want to challenge him to a drinking battle." He smiled at the dumb expressions on his friends faces. "It's something I haven't done in a long time."

Genma chuckled. "I'll tell him later this afternoon. He's bound to show up." He shook his head. "He can't seem to stay away from the office."

With plans to meet up at the camp later that night, they broke up and went to work. Gai said something about tacking Iruka down, giving his Genins a three day training routine and getting ready for the campout. Then Asuma said as much himself and took off. After a short discussion of what each was bringing, Izumo and Kotetsu left for the Hokage's office. It was only lucky that they were all on the same rest schedule as the mission office and Genin instructors.

(a) (a) (a)

Stretching his arm, Iruka was pleased that what little medical jitsu he knew worked. He gathered his laundry bag and left his apartment. He's put it off for as long as he could. He was down to his last few pairs of underwear and only two uniforms, though he didn't have much use for them now. Walking into the laundry, Iruka greeted the smiling woman and took his ticket after a short chat. He needed to keep busy and let last night's events fade from his mind. It made him nervous to think back on those lips and not blush. Shaking his head to clear the image of that handsome face from his mind, Iruka set off for the market.

Since the spring festival was nearing, he would need a new yukata and sandals, as well as a new belt. Finding the sandals was easy enough, now he just had to find a yukata and matching belt. Sighing in frustration, he entered the cloth seller's store. He hated going in there. They hardly ever had what he wanted and it was frustrating to even talk to the man that owned the place. Browsing through several panels of gray, yellow, and black fabric, he was about to leave when he spotted a light colored bolt nearly hidden under several bolts of gray silk.

Carefully moving the delicate bolts, he uncovered the most amazing cloth he had ever seen. Made of a creamy beige silk, embroidered silk, bottlenose dolphins danced across the bolt in white ocean spray. Small embroidered kanji of his name were placed in between each of the nine patterns. Letting the silk slide between his fingers, he barely registered the little man coming up to him.

"I see you've found something you like, Iruka-kun," the old man chuckled. He smiled up at the young man. "I was going to track you down if you didn't come around in the next few days."

Iruka stared dumbly at him. "You were? Why?"

The old man raised his eyebrow at him and said, "Because I had that made especially for you."

"For me, oji-san?" he repeated.

"Yes, for you. I've noticed that these past couple of years you haven't found anything to catch your eye. So I had this made for you," he smiled brightly.

Iruka was stunned. He rubbed the cloth against his cheek. "But why would you do this for me? That can't be the only reason."

The little man grinned even wider and answered, "It's also for all the hard work you've done for this village. It takes a special person to deal with the little hellions this village produces."

Iruka laughed and agreed. "How much will it be for this to be made into a yukata?"

The old man scowled and shook his head. "Nothing. It's a gift from the village this year. Besides, I have a special crest to put on it."

Iruka looked at him suspiciously. "What kind of crest?"

"It's a secret, but you'll like it, Iruka-kun," he said as he took the bolt from the table. "Come with me and let's get your measurements."

"Don't you have them already?" Iruka asked as he headed for the back room.

Chuckling, the old man replied, "You've added to your shoulders since last year, Iruka-kun. Haven't you noticed?"

Iruka thought about it and shrugged. "Not really. Most of my clothes still fit me." He stripped down to his underwear and patiently let the man take his measurements. "The only thing I can see changing is the new aches and pains I have everyday after training with Gai-sensei."

As if saying his name was a summoning jitsu, Gai stuck his head around the corner. "What was that, Iruka?"

Jumping into the air at the sudden appearence of the Jounin, Iruka squeaked as he landed. "G..g..gai-sensei!"

Coming into the little room, Gai smiled at the two men. "Gai, Iruka, please. What are you doing in your underwear?" He gave the old man an evil look.

Iruka blushed and laughed nervously. "Oji-san here is taking my measurements for a new yukata." His composure back, Iruka gave Gai a look. "What are you doing here, Gai?" He lifted his arms again so the old man could get his arm length again.

Gai leaned back against the wall. "I'm here to inform you of the camping trip we are taking." He smiled.

Iruka looked at him funny. "Camping trip? Just us?"

Booming in laughter, Gai answered, "Not just us, silly little youngster! Asuma, Genma, Kotetsu, Izumo, you, and me." He forgot about adding Kakashi to the list. He really hadn't paid attention to the last part of the conversation as he thought about what he was going to take on the camping trip. "Besides, I like women. Though not to say that you aren't a fine specimen of the spring of youth in this village."

Iruka nearly choked on his tongue as he listened to Gai. The last of his measurements taken, he dressed and thanked the old man. With the guarentee that it would be done before the festival and a proper belt would be added, Iruka and Gai left.

"So what time are we leaving?" Iruka asked as he entered the laundry. Pulling the ticket from his pocket he took his laundry, leaving the fee on the counter.

Gai stopped posing for the pretty laundress. "We leave as soon as you can gather clothes for two days and anything else you will need for the trip." Gai waited as Iruka opened his door and invited him up. Following the man, he continued. "Asuma and Genma are bringing drinks and food, but if you have anything you want to bring, just stop at the store and pick it up. My treat."

"Thanks, Gai. Let me just grab my bag and I'll be right out," Iruka grinned, heading into the bedroom.

Tossing the laundry on the bed, he opened his wardrobe and hefted out the camping bag he kept ready. You never knew when Genma and the group would call for a campout. It paid to be prepared with so little notice. Checking to make sure it contained his swim trunks, pillow, extra blankets, two sets of clothes, a tent and one jacket, Iruka nodded and left his room. He found Gai nosing around his stereo and smiled. He realized this was the first time that Gai had ever been to his apartment. In fact, he had never been to Gai's.

"Ready!" he called out, startling Gai into bumping his head on a low shelf. He hid his smile.

"Alright! Let's go. I have to stop by my place and pick up my gear," Gai said, rubbing the top of his head.

It didn't take long to make it to Gai's apartment. He invited Iruka in and made his way to through the small apartment to his wardrobe. Iruka took one look and one sniff of the apartment, then tried not to gag. It smelled as if something had died. It was filthy, too. _Didn't he ever clean_? Noticing Gai coming back, he pasted a smile on his face, hoping that it didn't look as sick as he was feeling. He also tried not to breathe until they exited the apartment.

It wasn't long after that, the two men were heading for the campsite, after a quick stop to pick up some of the sweet sake that Iruka liked. Knowing where they were going as soon as they passed the regular camping spot three kilometers out of the village, he guessed they were heading deep. Iruka smiled. Asuma must be planning to get really drunk this rest period. He wondered if Kurenai was off on a mission with her Genins or if Asuma just needed time away from the kuniochi. It was something that kept his mind playing through several scenarios as the last few kilometers flew by.

Reaching the campsite, Iruka and Gai set up thier tents. After that was done, it was time to gather the firewood they would need. Each taking a small hatchet, they spread out looking for deadfall branches and trees. By late afternoon, they had a sizeable pile and spent the next hour or so gathering kindling and creating the firepit. As the last rock was placed, Iruka sensed approaching people. It wasn't long before a laughing Genma, Raidou, and Asuma. Each man was weighed down with heavy packs and clinking bags. Greeting them with smiles, the two men helped the others set up thier tents. A few minutes later, Kotetsu and Izumo came into camp. After each person was settled, it was getting dark. Setting a fire in the pit, Asuma broke out the food. Laughing and telling funny stories, the men sat around cooking shiskabobs.

Asuma leaned over and whispered to Genma, "Where's Kakashi?"

"Said he would be here tomorrow," Genma whispered back.

Asuma rolled his eyes. "Late, huh?"

Genma laughed. "I think he needed to go buy some gear. He's never been camping with us and I had to explain to him that all he needed was a bedroll and booze." He laughed again. "He then asked why he didn't need a tent and I told him it was a surprise. You should have seen the look he gave me."

Asuma chuckled and lit a cigarette. "I wouldn't have minded to see that."

After dinner, the guys decided to head to bed. It had been a hard day for the men at the mission office and they were all tired. Soon, snores filled the night air as each man drifted off to sleep.

(a) (a) (a)

Yells and screams filled the morning air. Two huge splashes caused waves to jump onto the high banks of the river. Asuma and Gai surfaced with huge grins, shaking water from thier eyes.

"Who got the biggest splash?" Gai hollered back at the four men standing on the rock high above the water.

Laughing, Iruka called back, "Asuma did! He got us!"

Slapping the water, Gai said to the grinning man, "I will get the biggest splash yet!"

A few seconds later, Iruka and Genma dived off the twenty foot high rock. Each performed a perfect swan dive and made small splashes as they entered the water. Right behind them, Izumo grinned as he tossed the fighting Kotetsu off. What he didn't expect was the kick from behind that sent him flailing off the rock. The watching men laughed as Asuma peered over the top.

"That's what you get, you little heathen!" With a whoop, Asuma jumped off the rock.

Soon they were trying to drown each other. Genma had Izumo under, but was jerked under by a grinning Iruka. Raidou and Gai were holding a struggling Kotetsu and tossed him into the air and then scrambled out from under him as he came back down. Asuma was lounging on the bank smoking a cigarette, not noticing the approaching Iruka and Genma. They smiled as they broke the surface, grabbed an ankle, and drug the surprised man into the water, the cigarette still hanging from his lips.

Kakashi watched from the top of a tree. He was smiling and laughing at thier antics. He was glad that he had brought a pair of swim trunks. He had reached the campsite a few minutes ago and had heard the yells and splashing water. He had changed into the trunks and made his way to the river. Grinning, he leaped from the tree.

"Bonzai!" he yelled, sailing from the tree and rolling into a cannonball.

Everyone turned to stare at the white ball of flesh as it came hurtling down. They all yelled and tried to move away, but was to late as the man splashed down right in the middle of them. Gai watched as the splash towered above them and drenched the rock. He could never beat that splash! Iruka could only blink as he was drenched. _Kakashi_?

Surfacing with crinkled eye, Kakashi shook the water from his hair. "Yo! Sorry I'm late, got lost on the way here."

"You lie!" they all yelled, laughing.

"Glad you could make it, Kakashi," Genma said, earning him a smile.

"I'm glad that you invited me," Kakashi replied. "What have I missed?" He looked around as Asuma jumped on Iruka and took the stuggling man under.

Genma watched the water for Asuma as he answered. "Not to much. We had dinner and went to bed early. We decided to have a morning swim and then Gai challenged Asuma to a splash contest. Asuma won, though with that magnificent cannonball you did, you won by default. And-" Whatever he was about to say was lost as he was jerked under the water.

Kakashi blinked and watched the water. He wasn't going to be that easy a target. He watched as Kotetsu jumped onto Izumo and wrestled with him enough to cause a white froth to form around them. Izumo cried out as Raidou took them under. Gai was also watching the water as Iruka and Genma surfaced coughing. _How long could Asuma hold his breath_?

Iruka carefully made his way to Kakashi. He didn't trust Asuma not to take him down again. Reaching the masked man, he smiled. "Hey, Kakashi. Good of you to make it to our little get together."

Smiling back, he exclaimed, "If I had known this was what camping was like, I would have done it sooner."

Iruka could only stare. White skin gleamed with the morning sun, making the pink scars stand out on his lean torso. Not overly muscled, his lean form was beautiful to look at. He had the look of a svelte hunter and it showed in the way he held himself, prepared to take on any threat. He also noticed that he was wearing his black eye patch. _God_, _he's gorgeous_!

"You've never been camping?" Iruka finally asked. Kakashi shook his head. "Not even when you were little?" Again he shook his head. "Well, we'll have to make this one the best yet!"

Kakashi grinned, until he caught sight of a black shadow under the water. Grabbing Iruka, he leaped, landing on the shadow. Slick flesh was hard to stand on, Kakashi realized. He took Iruka under with him as he lost his balance. A small yelp left his lips as he went under. Sputtering the three men surfaced at the same time. Kakashi laughed as Gai caught his breath.

By mid-morning, the men were tired and headed for camp and breakfast. After another breakfast of shishkabob, this time of shrimp, Asuma broke out the first bottle of sake. Soon each man was drinking from bottles and getting pleasently drunk. Genma then held them enthralled with tales of his and Iruka's Academy pranks. Iruka blushed on some of the ones, but was always correcting Genma when he told something wrong. Then Izumo had them rolling in laughter over his activities in Tsunade's office.

Night was falling by the time stomach's started to growl in hunger. Asuma was told not to bring out any more kabobs and instead took out several steaks and potatoes. Grinning, he then pulled out a grill screen. Cheers went up as sizzling meat was prepared and potatoes went into a bed of coals. More sake was opened as well as some red wine and, amazingly, a bottle of whiskey from Kotetsu's pack. It wasn't long before loud voices proclaiming Asuma a god were ringing through the forest.

Dinner done and several empty bottle of wine later, the men were sharing pulls from the whiskey bottle. Genma was giving Raidou a shoulder massage, making the man groan in pleasure as he leaned back into his partner. Iruka was sitting near Kakashi passing him a bottle of sweet sake. Izumo was staggering around then tripped over a lounging Gai. Asuma was leaning on Kotetsu and regaling him with his sex life.

"This is pleasent," Kakashi murmured, taking a gulp of the sake.

"We haven't even started yet," was all Iruka said as he stood up unsteadily. "It's time to play!" he announced to the group. Whoops and hollers came back at him with a couple of groans. Glaring at Raidou, Iruka said, "It's time to play Shadow Dance."

"Shadow Dance?" Kakashi asked as he stood.

"It's easy," Iruka explained. "All you have to do is stay in the shadows and not get caught. It's like tag, but with a twist. There is only one Shadow Dancer at a time. Once you catch the Dancer, you get a boon. You can't use any jitsus and you can't leave the ground. It's all about your tracking skills."

"Interesting," Kakashi purred, a dark glint coming into his eye. "I can see where getting drunk beforehand makes it even more interesting."

Iruka didn't see it as he gathered some sticks together. "Okay, the one to get the short one is the Dancer!" He walked around and each man took a stick. They held them up and Iruka groaned. He held the short one. "Five minutes until the curtain rises!" he yelled as he ran off into the forest.

Genma and Raidou exchanged looks and grinned. Asuma looked at them and grinned, too. Kotetsu lifted Izumo from his sitting position and helped him stand. Gai stretched and nearly fell over, his cheeks a rosy color. Kakashi shook his head and then focused on the sounds of Iruka running away from camp. He was going to find him first and get that boon.

"I'm going to find him first!" Gai bellowed drunkenly. "If I don't..."

"You'll clean the campsite," Asuma said.

Gai nodded and hiccupped. "Or I'll clean camp!"

After another minute, they set out after Iruka with drunken howls.

(a) (a) (a)

hehehehe I've finally got what I was looking for. You might want to get some ice for the next chapter. No, it's not for the hangover! bwahahahaha

I'm so evil today...

**_Arigatou guzaimas_**! The next chapter is dedicated to everyone that wants lemons! P


	9. Dance

Whispering Illusions 

Chapter Nine

Dance

(a) (a) (a)

Faint whispers of movement moved through the black forest night. Owls hooted in question at the blacker than black shape weaving through the forest floor. Night birds continued thier song, knowing deep in thier little minds that nothing would come to hunt them this night. Furhter back in the forest barking laughter echoed to the roosting birds. An owl took flight, spooked at the jarring sounds the human men made. He wondered why these humans, usually so quiet, were so loud. Hooting in annoyance, he lifted from his perch and flew to a quieter area of the forest, for the nights hunt was ruined.

Iruka noticed the owl lifting away and smiled. They weren't very far behind then, he nodded to himself. His dark skin blended with the shadows as well as the green and brown swim trunks he was wearing. He grimaced as his upswept hair pulled at his scalp. The last couple of hours it had been pulling painfully as it dried. Reaching up, he ripped the holder from his hair and let it tumble to the ground. He ruffled his hair to ease the lingering pain. _Another clue for my would be hunters_. Butterflies tickled his stomach as he thought about one hunter.

With the amount of alcohol that the others had consumed, he wasn't to worried about them. It was Kakashi he was worried about. He had drank his fill, but he didn't seem to be as affected as the others. Genma and Raidou would certainly find a place to cuddle up and stay out of the hunt, but there was still Gai, Asuma, Kotetsu, and Izumo. Gai was drunker than he had ever seen him and had still been able to walk a straight line. Great. The other two had been hobbling around and tumbling down. They weren't going to be hard to evade. And Asuma was a mess, though he could still track with his senses dulled. He would have to watch for the two Jounins.

His attention was jerked back to reality with a sound not animal off behind and not to far away. Grinning, he dipped into a swaying shadow and spun away to another. Iruka swept from one shadow to another, swaying with the wind to mimic the dancing shadows. Since they had been children, Iruka had been the best player in Shadow Dance. He was able to dance from shadow to shadow with hardly any break from the shadow he came from. He was an extension of that shadow. It was said that he could read the forest, what she would do next, and that she would wrap her arms around the boy, helping him hide from his pursuers. Later as he grew, it seemed that he formed an even tighter bond with the forest that surrounded his home.

Laughing silently at the curses and shouts floating from the forest, he guessed that his hair band had been found. They may be drunk, but they weren't dull. He could hear Gai's loud voice over the shrieks of Kotetsu and Izumo. They must be following him, he thought. _Where is Asuma and Kakashi_? He hadn't caught any sign that they were near him. He didn't feel any human eyes tracking him and decided to give the men a break and danced back toward the laughing men. Stopping a few meters away from a now arguing Gai, Izumo, and Kotetsu, Iruka whistled at them, waved and danced away.

With a bellow, Gai charged after the laughing brown sprite. He was determined to beat Kakashi in this game. Anyway, they were even now and he needed another win to pull ahead of his rival. He hiccuped and grinned foolishly. He decided that he really liked the whiskey that Kotetsu had produced from his bag. He would have to ask where he got it later. He was starting to find it hard to keep track of the dancing and weaving man in front of him. He had long ago lost the still arguing pair and was slightly lost himself. Damn the rules for keeping him on the ground. He lost sight of Iruka and stopped, listening for the slap of bare feet on the forest floor. Not hearing anything, he struck off to his left. He could feel something coming from that way.

(a) (a) (a)

Asuma was hopelessly lost. He hadn't been in the forest for ten minutes and was lost. He was hopeless when he was snookered. He opened a fresh pack of cigarettes and lit one. He turned around and tried to find his way back. He could hear Kotetsu and Izumo arguing somewhere off to his right and he broke off the path and made his way back to them. A movement to his left caught his attention. He turned and blinked. _Oh, God_! _Where's the bleach_? His cigarette nearly fell out of his mouth as he blinked a few times. Genma and Raidou were writhing against a tree and other things. Asuma turned away before his night sight kicked back in. Blushing a little at the little grunts and moans behind him, he headed toward the arguing men. It didn't take long to find them. If there had been a Death Squad out here, then they would have targeted the two men with little effort. Sighing, he strolled through the trees and pulled them apart.

"Where is Gai?" he asked, tossing his cigarette butt onto the ground.

Kotetsu glared one last time at Izumo and blinked blearily at Asuma. "He saw something ahead and took of after it. I think it was Iruka, but I'm not sure." He blinked and burped in his tormentor's face.

Asuma snarled and stepped back from Kotetsu. He reached for Izumo but caught air. He looked down and saw him sprawled across the ground. He gave the sleeping Jounin a nudge with his toe and was rewarded with a snore. _Damn these kids_! He couldn't complain much. They were only a couple of years younger than himself and probably hadn't had this much to drink in a long while. He bent down, grabbing an arm and leg, and slung Izumo over his shoulder like a stole.

"Come on, Kotetsu. Let's find our way back to camp." Asuma lit another cigarette.

"Aren't we going to find Iruka?" he asked, stumbling beside the larger man.

"I'll leave that to Gai and Kakashi. Besides, Gai will get lost if he went after Iruka on his own," he answered with a chuckle.

"Huh?" Kotetsu gave him a wondering look.

Asuma blew out a smoke ring. "Iruka knows these forests better than most. He can Dance for hours and no one will be able to catch him. It takes a team of three or more to track his brown ass in the shadows. Makes me wish that we had Shikamaru or Shikaku." He grunted as he nearly missed his footing over a tree root. He glared at it as he passed over it. "I swear, since we were kids, Iruka could Shadow Dance better than any of us. I don't think we had short games with him as the Dancer." He smiled at his memories.

Kotetsu shook his head and followed the older Jounin back to camp. After a while though he wondered if they were lost. They seemed to be going in circles. Shrugging, he continued to follow Asuma. If they were, they would be found eventually.

(a) (a) (a)

Kakashi sniffed at the air again. He could smell Asuma's cigarette smoke drifting back to camp, as well as Kotetsu's scent and a sleeping Izumo. He smiled a little behind his mask. _Lightweight_. Moving quickly and silently, he drifted through the shadows. If he wasn't mistaken, Gai should be a few hundred meters ahead just a little to his left. It didn't take long to find the drunk man glaring around the shadows. Wiping the grin from his face, Kakshi stepped from the shadows.

"Yo," he greeted.

"That Iruka is sneeky and has the devil's own luck," Gai muttered, not fazed at Kakashi's appearence. "Spotted him a little over ten minutes ago, but he's faded into the shadows again. I get close and he disappears, only to show up a dozen or so meters ahead." Gai ground to a halt and peered into the shadows again. "He knows this forest and I think it's hiding him. I've heard that it's always a long game when Iruka gets the Dance."

Kakashi let Gai rant on, hoping to gain some useful knowledge into this game. He didn't play games. Well, unless you counted his mind games with his kids and with unsuspecting Jounin. This was something he hadn't heard about the Chunin and could possibly help in him getting what he wanted. If he was half as good at dancing through the shadows as it was turning out he could, then what other talents was the shy teacher hiding from his friends? Kakashi focused on Gai again as he started to talk again.

Gai burped loudly and turned his slightly blurred gaze toward Kakashi. "You know, Kakashi, Iruka is really strong. I've been training him the last couple of weeks. If he wanted he could be Jounin, if not ANBU." He laughed at little at the perplexed look his rival gave him. "It's true. He's very fast and getting faster. Have to be fast to deal with those kids. His Chakra control is a little wobbly, but he can control it almost as good as Tsunade-sama. It's not as powerful as hers, or Sakura's for that matter, but it's up there. I've always wondered why he never went higher."

"Hnn," was all Kakashi said.

Gai grinned foolishly and stumbled slightly. "Stupid root!" He kicked at the non-existent root, missed, and fell over. "Oops." He grinned again and slumped over. Two seconds later a huge snore rumbled from his throat.

"Wonderful," Kakashi muttered. He debated whether it would be a good idea to cart the big man back to camp. He'd rather not. Besides, the camp wasn't far off and he would eventually find his way back, if not sleep it off here. He smiled to himself. _That means the little Dolphin is mine to play with_. He sniffed again at the air before walking away. He knew where Iruka was and he couldn't hide for very long.

(a) (a) (a)

Iruka glanced behind him. He had thought he had seen something out of the corner of his eye, but whatever it was hadn't appeared. He shrugged and danced to a new shadow. He figured that the others had either given up or was otherwise occupied. He laughed as he envisioned Genma and Raidou piled up under the nearest tree. He knew what those two were up to by now. Gai was hopelessly lost and of Kotetsu and Izumo there was no sign. Asuma was probably back at camp getting hopelessly drunk. He knew what it was like to track him through the shadows. That left only Kakashi. He shivered in anticipation. That one he wanted to play with.

Not focusing on the path ahead, he swayed slightly, bending his, now, flexible upper body to fit into a shadow. He stopped to catch his breath and to look behind him. He blinked. Was that a white leg? He blinked again and it was gone. He was still drunk from earlier and his eyes weren't as focused as he would like, but that was half the fun of running around the forest. He giggled in spite of the almost silent forest. Forgetting the game for a moment, he stepped into a patch of moonlight and raised his smoothly muscled arms to the sky and spun. Faster and faster he spun until he was so dizzy he fell to his hands and knees. He laughed like a child over some newly discovered secret. Still smiling, he looked up and gasped.

"Hello, forest sprite," Kakashi said, his mask around his neck. "It seems that I've caught the Shadow Dancer."

Gathering his strength, Iruka sprang to his feet and ran, still laughing. "It's not that easy, Kakashi! Catch me and you can have your boon." He flitted into a shadow and into another. He could hear the wraith white man close behind. Shuffling his feet carefully, Iruka swung into a dive and came up, Kakashi's arm just passing over his head. He laughed. He flew into another shadow.

Kakashi laughed with Iruka. He was actually having fun, despite the almost painful need pulsing through his veins. Iruka's dark body was moving through intricate manuevers to counteract his lunges and grabs. He studied the pattern of his movements as they weaved in and out of moonlight and trees. They were a fair distance from the camp by his estimate. He smiled to himself and followed the giggling Iruka. Sweat glistened on Iruka's body and it made it easier to track him, as well as the musky sweet scent that floated from his body. He calculated the next move and pounced on the now panting man.

"Gotcha, sprite!" Kakashi whispered before swooping his mouth down onto Iruka's.

Iruka moaned deeply in need and pleasure. He had been anticipating this moment since Kakashi had crashed into the water. His white body was crushing him to the ground, hands digging through his hair, as his nimble tongue delved into his mouth to wrestle with his own. His own hands were holding Kakashi's head as he kissed him back with equal force. Wanting to feel more of the warm flesh holding him down, Iruka ran a hand down the other's back, drawing patterns between the multitude of old scars. He smiled to himself as Kakashi moaned into his mouth. Feeling bold, Iruka let his hand wander. First a finger and then others joined as he played with the waistband of Kakashi's swim trunks. Getting a growl for his efforts, he plunged his hand under the trunks and grabbed a handfull of white ass.

Kakashi almost screamed with pleasure at the pressure kneading the pale cheeks. He could feel the evidence of Iruka's desire against his hip through the thin swim trunks. His body was on fire with the need to take the younger man and Iruka was practically begging with his little mewls of need. Freeing a hand from the nearly alive wild mop of Iruka's hair, he trailed it down that slender brown column and to a nipple. He felt Iruka draw in his breath. Nibbling around his mouth, Kakashi pinched and rolled the hard brown nub between his thumb and forefinger. He was rewarded with a gasp and a buck.

His eye going black with desire, Kakashi lifted up a little and looked down into Iruka's face. Flushed, his face was beautific. Kakashi drew in a shuddering breath at the want he saw reflected in those soft chocolate eyes. Not able to face such naked need, he bent down and traced the honeyed skin of Iruka's collar. Making his way further down that supple body, he found the other hard nipple and took it into his mouth, sucking and raking his teeth over the sensitive flesh. He continued his minstrations with his free hand.

Iruka let a soft gasp escape his throat. Every place that Kakashi was touching was making him burn. He had never felt this way with anyone. Since his grip was lost on the firm cheeks, he traced his hands back up the jagged lines of Kakashi's back. As he felt that hot tongue lap at his nipple, he arched his back nearly screaming in extacy. Freeing up a hand, he panted in excitement as he ran it over a white shoulder and down an even firmer chest. He traced the collar bone and felt Kakashi left slightly to allow him access to explore. Soft moans issuing from his throat as another pass of that tongue followed by a raking of teeth, Iruka teased a pale rose nipple into hardness. Kakashi reared his head back on a hiss of indrawn breath.

Smiling through his own discovery, Iruka whispered, "I found something sweet." Before he let Kakashi reply, he pulled him down for a hard kiss.

Abandoning his play, Kakashi shifted to the left of Iruka, sliding a hand down his stomach. He encountered the new muscles and ran his fingers around the small belly button. He felt the little hairs as they trailed under his trunks. He followed his hand with his eye, it going darker as he spotted the evidence of Iruka's desire straining against the soft material. With teasing fingers, he slipped them under the waistband. With a simple light touch there, just above the hip, Iruka would arch into him. With a quick stroke just above the end of the trail of soft hair, Iruka would suck in his breath.

Tiring of his game, Kakashi leaned down, kissing and licking his way down that tightly wound, brown stomach. Stopping, he dipped his hot tongue into Iruka's navel. Rewared with a gasp and a moan, Kakashi nuzzled just above the waistband. Carefully taking his hand, he ran it up Iruka's calf and into the leg openings of his left thigh. He continued to kiss and bite playfully at his lover's navel as he played his fingers on the inside of that tight thigh.

Iruka was trembling. Mostly in excitement and the sheer need he felt for Kakashi, but he was also a little afraid. As he felt the older man trailing that hot mouth down his stomach, he had nearly fainted from the pleasure. But it had been when he had started that maddening climb to teasing fingers up his leg that had nearly undone him. He was painfully aroused and the once loose trunks were hurting him. And if Kakashi didn't stop playing around, he was going to have to do something about it.

After a few more minutes, Iruka was completely sensitized. He couldn't stand it anymore. Growling fiercely, he surprised Kakashi as he bucked his hips up and shimmied from those brown and green trunks. Smiling ferally, he tossed the trunks above his head and slitted those deep brown eyes at him. Reaching up with a slightly trembling hand, he lifted the patch from Kakashi's eye and looked into both.

"If you don't take care of this soon, I won't be held responsible for what will happen next," he rasped out.

Taking the hint, Kakashi lay a gentle hand over the center of all his play had been for. He lightly stroked to earn a shuddering moan from Iruka. Leaning down, he ran his tongue up and down, feeling the shivers racking Iruka. Taking the length into his mouth, he gently pulled then go slack. Iruka let out a small scream. For a few minutes he ran his tongue up, down, and around. It didn't take long for him to feel that salty sweet stickiness enter his mouth. It even tasted of honey. Iruka was surely made out of it.

Panting, Iruka lay spent. He pulled Kakashi up to him and kissed him hard, tasting himself on the other's lips. It was salty, but also held a hint of sweetness. Was that was he tasted like? As Kakashi rose above him, he could feel the hard evidence of his need. Lifting a heavy hand, Iruka lay it on the waistband. He looked up into Kakashi's eyes and was rewarded with a dizzying look of raging desire, making the Sharigan lay still, as if enraptured by the emotion. Gently, he peeled the trunks from the other's body and lay them with his own. Pulling him down again, Iruka kissed him gently.

"You still have need," he whispered as thier lips parted.

"Are you ready?" Kakashi whispered back.

Iruka chuckled weakly. "I'll never be more ready."

Smiling, Kakashi leaned back down and took those honeyed lips again in a devouring kiss. He settled over Iruka and prodded his lega apart with his own. With a swift move, he swung his knees under him and swung Iruka up into his arms, not breaking the kiss. Gently he lowered the younger man down and felt slight pressure. Iruka grunted in discomfort for a moment, but as he relaxed he sank down further. Kakashi nearly howled his pleasure. It was a tight fit, but that only made it more pleasurable. He rocked forward and settled back. Again and again he did this, until Iruka took up the rythem. Together, they moved to the sound of the forest and the whispering winds. He could feel the hardness of a new friend poking into his stomach. His knees becoming weak, Kakashi lowered himself backward, keeping Iruka in place and moving.

Iruka, feeling the shift, leaned forward enough to ease the transition and then leaned back so he was straddling the moonlight bathed man under him. He felt the pressure building in him as he took the rythem up again. It wound in tight coils through his middle and into his groin. Panting hard now, both men grunted, moaned, and growled thier raging needs to one another. Kakashi took Iruka into his hands as he felt himself start to come. He wanted the brown man to share his pleasure.

Iruka threw his head back and screamed as the world exploded. He could faintly hear a twin scream from somewhere far away. Exhausted, he fell forward onto something soft and sticky, as a warm liquid ran down his leg. Panting, he carefully extracted himself and rolled over to curl around the warm body beside him. Feeling an arm come around him, Iruka smiled and drifted into an exhausted sleep.

(a) (a) (a)

Sorry for the hiatus, but things needed to be cleared up before this fic could continue. As things have been cleared and you are still reading this, then you know that the accusations were unfounded. As to the lateness of this update...well I've been doing Spring Cleaning and working on several vehicles. The last one I've been working on is still giving me problems with the brakes. And yes, the last one is mine.

Hopefully this will keep you until I can add back all the juicy parts and post a link up to my site so you can read the whole thing uncensored. Also this is as much I would allow myself to post up. I bloody well had to stop halfway through the writing and take a breather and a smoke. lol

Thanks to all of you that have supported the fic. You have my eternal gratitude. And thanks to loads of sugar, my WinAmp, and several stations on SHOUTcast for helping with the making of this chapter. If it wasn't for sugar, I don't think I would have gotten half my ideas out of my head. XD

Until next chapter...ja ne!


	10. Deadly

Whispering Ilusions 

Chapter Ten

Deadly

(a) (a) (a)

Chilled, his back hurting, Iruka opened his eyes with a groan. Uncurling from around the base of a tree, he wondered if the night before was just a drunkard's dream. He looked down to find his trunks were back on. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he stood and gasped in pain. _I guess it wasn't a dream_, _but where is Kakashi_? Muscles he hadn't thought existed burned and cried out in abuse. He needed to bathe feeling the stickyness still clinging to his skin. The water would help to ease the aches he was experiencing as well. Getting his bearings, Iruka carefully made his way back to camp.

A few minutes later, he found the camp. All was quiet except for the snores emanating from Genma and Asuma's tents. Even asleep, Genma could be loud. Still to early to wake anyone, Iruka gathered a pair of old jeans, a shirt, and a towel, then headed for the river. It would be cold, but he was in sore need of a bath. Grimacing, he picked some stray leaves from his hair. Ten minutes later he was washed and dressed. Laying on one of the larger rocks near the water, he let the slowly warming sun dry his wet hair. As he gazed up at the slow moving clouds, he thought over his encounter with Kakashi the night before.

Granted it was his first time, still he had expected more. Making a face, he sat up, propping an arm on a knee. Why should he expect more from Kakashi? The man was a virtual hermit. No one really knew anything about him. He kept to himself and didn't have very many friends or any that Iruka knew about. _He could have at least stayed with me the whole night_! Scowling, he tossed a rock into the river, watching as the ripples disappeared.

_Why had he left and where was he? I'll make myself crazy if I keep thinking about it. Maybe I should just head back to camp and get something to eat. I'm cranky and sore. I just don't know what to think anymore._

After his little inner tirade, Iruka went back to camp. As he arrived, he heard Gai grumbling from the left. Raising a brow, Iruka watched as he weaved back and forth.

"Good morning, Gai," he called, watching the big man wince. He tried not to laugh at the twigs and leaves sticking out of his hair. He looked as if he had a fight with a bush and lost. "What happened to you?"

Gai held his head for a moment, lifting blood shot eyes to stare at his tormentor. "I fell over root."

Iruka snorted in laughter, but quickly clamped his mouth shut. "A root did that to you?"

Moaning, Gai lifted a bottle of water to his lips. "A root. Then somehow I ended up in some bloody damn bushes. Woke up with ants and a very hungry looking racoon staring at me."

Iruka couldn't hold it in anymore. He laughed until his vision blurred. "A racoon?" he gasped in between breaths.

Gai glared at Iruka but smiled. "It looked hungry and it was big." A few seconds later he joined Iruka in his laughter, thinking about the picture he presented with his story.

Thier laughter waking the others, they built up the fire and set about cooking some sausages and noodles. The men waited in companionable silence as the water boiled, noodles dancing through the water. After sharing thier adventures from the night before and the subsequent return to camp after not being able to find the elusive Iruka, they turned to him and stared at him.

Noodles hanging from his mouth and his hair threatening to fall into his bowl, Iruka looked to each of the expectant faces. A light blush stained his cheeks as he swallowed the noodles. "What?"

Genma sidled up to him, a smile playing around his lips. "Well, did you?"

Frowning, Iruka blinked. "Did I what?"

Rolling his eyes, Genma tried again. "Did you get caught last night?" Blushing even redder, Iruka nodded. "Well, what happened?"

"Not telling." Iruka put his bowl down with a little _tink_.

"Aw, come on, Ruka! You have to tell!" Genma whined. He gave the younger man his puppy dog eyes. "Pwease?"

Crossing his arms, Iruka stated firmly, "No."

Genma nearly sat on him as he got closer. "Pwease?" He blinked a few times and whined.

Pushing the man away, he growled, "No!"

Genma tackled him. It didn't take long to find Iruka's ticklish ribs and have him screaming in laughter. Wrapping his legs around one of Iruka's he clung to him and threatened, "If you don't tell me, I'll tickle you to death!"

Raidou wiggled over to Asuma and whispered, "I don't think Iruka can break that hold."

Asuma's eyebrow shot up. "And you know this how?" Raidou raised his own. "Ah, nevermind. Too much information." They turned back to the wailing Iruka and clinging Genma. Of Gai there was no sign.

Gasping for breath, Iruka gave up trying to break Genma's hold. If he didn't tell him, he would never be rid of him. "You're annoying, you know that?" He dropped his arms and fell back. He grinned as Genma gave a squawk.

"I knew you'd see it my way," Genma crowed. He loosened his grip enough to slide onto Iruka's stomach, keeping his leg locked with one of his. "Now spill it."

"I got caught, I passed out, and I woke up wrapped around a tree," Iruka declared, lifting a hand and picking some dirt from under his fingernails.

Genma slapped at his hand. "That isn't all. I can tell."

Iruka tried to hide the blush staining his already flushed cheeks. "That's all."

"Tell."

"That was it!" Iruka nearly screamed.

"Tell." Genma let a scary look cross his face as he stared down at his captive. "If you don't, I know a little jutsu that will make you want to tell me."

Cringing, Iruka smiled carefully. "Well, Kakashi caught me, got his boon and left me wrapped around a tree." He looked away as he said the last.

Genma leaned down and whispered lightly in his ear, "I knew he was going to fuck you. Did you enjoy it?"

Anger built in the pit of his stomach as he watched Genma lean back up, a smile painting his face. Hadn't Genma invited Kakashi to begin with? It had to have been. And what was this with 'knew he was going to fuck you' bit? With Genma's careless words and the morning he had suffered through, Iruka was immediately in a really bad mood. A fury he hadn't let show since his breakdown a few weeks earlier exploded behind his eyes. Red eclipsed him, bathing him in a ruby light. Gathering his chakra, Iruka blasted Genma away from him with a whispered air jutsu. Leaping to his feet the glared at the man sprawled across the fire, not letting his chakra fade.

"You go to far, Genma!" Iruka ground out, his teeth barely opening to let the words slip through. Hands on his hips he continued to glare. "What I do and what happens to me is my own problem. It's not for you or anyone else to know about. If I want things to be known about me, then I will tell everyone." Turning away from the staring group he jerked his pack up. "I'm leaving. Do whatever you want, but Genma, you open that big fat trap of yours and you will live to regret ever being born." He looked over his shoulder tossing hair out of his eyes. "Understand?"

Genma nodded, terror glazing his wide eyes. Raidou gathered him into his arms and watched as the enraged man left the camp. He had never seen Iruka do anything remotely dangerous to Genma before, but the fury that had surrounded him as he gave his ultimatem to Genma had him rethinking his opinion. He wouldn't let Iruka hurt his Genma, but maybe Genma had pushed him to far.

Carefully, he turned Genma's still terror filled face and shaking body to him."What did you say to him, love?"

Shuddering, Genma huddled in his lover's arms. "Nothing. I only asked him if he enjoyed himself last night."

Raidou looked to Izumo and Kotetsu, but they shrugged. Like they would know anything, but give them time and they would. He turned to Asuma and shared a look. The other man nodded slightly. Raidou sighed and looked down on Genma again. "Please tell me you didn't say anything stupid, Genma." Genma sniffed as another shudder shook him. _Was he crying_? **_Shit_**. "What did you say to him, Genma? Tell me exactly."

Genma shook as a silent sob shook him again. "I told him that I knew Kakashi was going to get him and asked if he enjoyed it."

"Dammit, Genma!" Raidou cried.

Genma looked up, a tear sliding down his face. "I know, Raidou! I know! I went to far! I was only joking with him." He stopped and took a deep breath, wiping the tear away.

Asuma stood and lit a cigarette. "Well, I think I may know why he exploded the way he did." Everyone turned to him, the question in thier eyes. "Has anyone noticed that Kakashi hasn't shown his face since last night?" They all shook thier heads and he sighed. "I'm assuming that Kakashi had his fun and left Iruka alone in the forest. I have some choice words for our fellow Jounin, but we should really just focus on how we are going to calm Iruka enough to apologize." He stared at Genma. "Meaning you, Genma." Gai popped up from nowhere and glared at Genma. Asuma sighed, but knew there was no helping it.

Everyone agreeing that it would be best to stay for the next day and a half, the men shared a quiet afternoon going over how they were going to make up the ruined weekend to Iruka. And how Genma was going to mend his long time relationship with his old friend. Gai decided to spend the rest of the time getting drunk and didn't feel like talking to anyone.

(a) (a) (a)

Holding his fury in check was hard. He didn't dare slow down for fear he might turn around and go after Genma, possibly killing him in his retribution. He needed to get away from the village for a while. He couldn't be around his friends for a while. This rage was warm. It was so familiar. He was terrified. He hadn't let it out in a very long time and to let it take him so easily twice was a warning sign. He had to leave.

Flying through the forest with almost supernatural speed, he made it to his apartment and slammed inside. Tossing the pack onto the bed, he scurried around the bedroom gathering a few uniforms and stuffing them into his pack. Tossing old clothing out of his way, he snatched his sword from the back of the wardrobe as well as several kunais and shuriken. Grabbing a small medical kit, the small tin of money he had stashed under his bed and what little he had left in his fridge, Iruka zipped his pack shut and left the village. He thought of telling Tsunade-sama of his departure, but she would want to have someone tag along with him and he just wanted to be left alone. Looking back once more to gaze at his beloved village, Iruka took a breath, and turned away. For the time being, there was nothing for him in the village.

Deciding to steer clear of Stone and Sand, he headed for Grass Country. There were many places for him to hide and it would take a long time before the ANBU or hunters could find him. He had to deal with his rage again before he was able to face his friends again. He didn't think that Genma would forgive him anytime soon or Raidou for that matter. He had threatened his life. He choked on a sob. _What have I done_?_ I left that part of me behind me years ago, why did it come back_?

He could still feel the fury nestled in his stomach. It hadn't completely left him. It never would. All he had done was bury it deep inside, keeping himself weak. He was such a fool sometimes. He had felt the fury building months ago, but had thought he could control it by working with the kids. If only the girl had not picked that day to miss her targets, none of this would have happened. He felt the rage build again as he thought of that day. He pushed it down with a struggle as he flew through the forest and reached the edge. Catching his breath, he found a suitable perch and sat watching the wind play in the tall grass. He needed to find something to alleviate the rage. It was the only way to make it go away.

But that would mean killing again. Could he do it? Could he kill another human being again? He raised his hands to his face. Could he take another life with these hands? Could he watch as the blood emptied from the still breathing bodies as they struggled to take air into thier lungs? Could he?

(a) (a) (a)

Oh lovely chapter, this. It was time to get a little serious. Kakashi has decided to leave the scene for a while, but I promise that he's around. I just have to figure out what to do with him. Iruka seems to be having problems, but I'm sure they'll work out. Or at least I hope they will. Ohhhh...cliffy.

I'll be posting a couple of links to some artwork for this fic that I've been working on the last couple of weeks. They should give you something to drool over while you read the story. As I might be in Florida next weekend for MegaCon, I will try to post as many chapters between now and then. I think I can get two or so in before then.

Thanks to all those still reading. Arigatou! And don't forget to **R**&**R**. I love to hear from everyone. Letting me know what you think helps in the development of the next chapters and for later fics in the series.

_Ja_!


	11. Secrets

Whispering Illusions 

Chapter Eleven

Secrets

(a) (a) (a)

Yawning, Kakashi rubbed at his eyes. He'd been watching the old house for several hours now and nothing had happened. He wondered again why Tsunade had called him back. He hadn't yet fallen asleep after his little session with Iruka and had felt someone approaching. He had sniffed at the wind and grimaced when he caught the scent of Cat. He had quickly dressed and tugged Iruka's trunks back on before the ANBU woman could get closer. Quickly he had jerked his mask up as her silent feet touched down behind him.

"You are wanted back at the village," she had said in her dead voice.

"By whom?" he asked sinking into a slouch. He noticed her eyes lit with humor.

"She won't tolerate your pouting for too long." Cat had let some humor into her voice, which lifted his spirits. She hadn't had very much emotion in her since the death of Hayate.

Sighing he had went back to camp and gathered his things. He felt bad about leaving Iruka in the forest, but he didn't have much time. If the old woman wanted him, it meant he had a mission and that was the most important thing. The mission was the lifeblood of the village. It was the only thing that kept him alive. It made him feel alive. Though he had to admit, chasing Iruka around the last few weeks had been a mission in itself and he felt more alive than he had in a long time.Hell! Just thinking about the way that the teacher had writhed on top of him had been very stimulating indeed.

He'd had a goofy grin on his face the entire way back to the village and didn't stop to change into his uniform. Cat had said she wasn't going to wait long and that meant that he would have to show up in what he was wearing. He had looked down and grunted in surprise. He still had a sticky stain on his stomach. After grabbing a loose shirt, he quickly threw it over his head and settled it around his hips. That would have to do until he could shower and change. A few minutes later he entered the Godaime's office without knocking.

"Don't you ever knock, you brat? Come with me," she groused, running a hand through her quite messy hair, as she motioned him into her private apartments. It was the first time that he had seen her platinum blonde hair out of place. She yawned again and scratched at her leg. What surprised him more, though, was her running around in a very short yukata and it's gaping front. He wondered how she kept those huge things in and not out. "What are you staring at Hatake?"

Kakashi had blinked, but otherwise didn't show any other emotion besides boredom. "Nothing, Tsunade."

"Disrespectful brat." She tripped over a loose rug and toppled onto a huge pile of pillows. "I'll kill whoever put these here." Kakashi was treated to a nice view of the old woman's rather tight ass. He carefully averted his eyes before she spotted him looking. She arranged herself on the pillows and filled him in on why he had been called back to the village. "I know you've been fidgeting lately, so I'm giving you a mission. And don't think that it's a big one either. It's a B-rank and I can't send any of the others out."

Kakashi made a noise in the back of his throat. "So what will I be doing?"

Yawning again, she handed him a scroll. "That will tell you where to go. I want you to watch the target's house and dispose of him. He's been stirring up trouble in one of the eastern villages. The locals sent an emissary that arrived an hour ago. I don't know this man's strength or power, but he was trained as a shinobi." She leaned forward onto her knees and clasped her hands together. "You have your Bingo book? Good, he may be a missing nin from one of the other secret villages. You know the drill." She waved him away.

Kakashi opened the scroll and scanne the contents. Rolling it back up, he glanced to Tsunade. "This is an assasination, I take it."

"Of course it is, you little bastard," she said through another yawn. "Now get the hell out of my sight. I want to go back to sleep and it's three in the morning." Kakashi was almost out the door when she hit him with a parting shot. "Next time, shower before you come to me. You smell of sex." She laughed as he left the apartment with an almost swift walk. Luckily, she hadn't seen the blush staining his face.

He had showered, changed, and had been on his way in less than fifteen minutes. It didn't take him long to find the house and he had sat in vigil ever since. He just wanted to get back to the village and sleep. After the swimming, drinking, tracking, screwing, and then the four hour trek to the house, he had slept only a few minutes. He wanted his bed, preferably with a certain brown skinned teacher in it. Now that he had a new partner, he didn't think he would let him go for a while. True that he didn't keep lovers for very long, he grew bored with them or they became to attached, but there was something about Iruka that he found intriguing and mysterious. It was almost as if he was hiding something inside himself and that made Kakashi want to unravel that mystery. He did so enjoy a nice puzzle.

Movement caught his attention. A rather stout man was exiting the house, closing the door behind him. As he turned Kakashi recognized his target. A dead light entering his eye, he silently made his way down to the man. He needed to gauge his strength. Slipping up behind him, Kakashi cleared his throat and nearly lost a leg. Beneath him, a monsterous mouth opened, revealing rows upon rows of serrated teeth. He stepped back quickly, forming replacements as he jumped back. For every step back, another of those mouth pits opened. He needed high ground. Leaping high, he gained a branch and looked for the man. He had disappeared. Snorting, he called up Pakkun.

"What is it now, Kakashi?" the little pug complained, yawning.

"No time. Track the man that was just here," Kakashi whispered. He couldn't smell anything except the rotten stench from the mouth pits. "My nose can't find him in this mess."

Pakkun scratched at his ear and took off. Kakashi following slowly behind. He still hadn't figured the man's strength but judging from the traps he had used, he was no rank amatuer. _Now would be a good time to use your eye_, _boy_. He could just hear it coming from Jiraiya now. Lifting the protector from his face he tracked the quick movements of the little pug with ease and scanned his path for any more traps. Only a few hundred yards ahead of him was another little trap that was easily disarmed. He continued to follow Pakkun until stopping a branch or so behind him.

"We might have a slight problem, Kakashi," the summon chuckled, tossing his head down at the man. "It seems that you will have to kill a woman instead."

Kakashi leaped to the branch and peered down into the glade they had come too. The Sharingan whirled as it took in the appearence of the man. Chakra flows were coming undone as were several layers of clothing. The woman wasn't very much older than himself, with long red hair tied back in two braids that flowed to her knees. She turned and her deep green eyes seemed to find him sitting in the treeline. Her face was angular with a sharp chin and partrician nose. Her lips were amazingly pale against her milk pale skin. He hadn't seen this woman from the village so she was from another village. She quirked her mouth as she pulled her protector from a pouch by her side and tied it around her neck, the scratched through Stone shining proudly. Her shirt was almost non-existent as the white cloth barely covered her breasts and two strips attached the skin tight material to her brief red skirt. Bandages wrapped her thighs down to her calf high black boots. A left handed kunai pouch was snug against her thigh as another pouch swung at an angle from a thin belt holding the skirt in place.

"You can come out, Hunter," her tinkling voice floated to him. "I've known for some time that you were following me. Come out and let's talk." She grinned ferally.

Pakkun turned his bored brown eyes on his master. "She wants to play and I'm tired."

Kakashi snorted. "You can rest here, but I will need you later. I'm still not sure what her game is, but it's not going to be good."

Pakkun sighed and lay atop the branch. Kakashi grinned, covered the Sharingan and slipped into the glade with a lazy slouch. _Best to show I don't really care which way this goes_. He approached the missing Stone nin with careful nonchalance. She was pretty, if you could dismiss the scar that played across her shoulder and down her stomach. Another pale pink scar crisscrossed her nose and continued down her throat where it stopped above her small breasts. _She's dangerous if she's lived this long with those kinds of scars_. The way she was dressed seemed to him that she relied on her looks to disarm men. Good thing he wasn't interested.

"Yo," he called as he got closer. "Lovely weather, isn't it?" He smiled as he came closer.

It threw the woman off enough to blink a couple of times. "Yes, lovely." She raised an eyebrow as he came closer. "I think that's far enough, Hatake."

Kakashi blinked in fake surprise. "You know me?" Stopping a few yards away, he watched her through a happily smiling eye. "I'm sorry, but I don't have the pleasure of knowing your name, pretty lady." He blushed for added effect.

She narrowed her eye at him, but replied, "Junko Rai. As for you, I've known about you since you were in ANBU." She spit at his feet. "I've been hunted by the likes of you for years and have survived depsite the best efforts of three villages." Rai smiled ferally at him again. "Want to be the next to fall to my blades?"

Kakashi unslouched and stood straight. He knew this woman now. She was wanted by Sand, Leaf, and Stone. She was worth more to Stone, but Leaf had a hefty purse on proof of her death. A gifted kuniochi and genjutsu user, she was noted to have killed her team when she had graduated into her Chunin status. Vicious and sadistic, she had taken the Genins to a remote location on a routine trip and had spent days torturing and mutilating thier bodies before leaving them to rot. Knowing she would look suspicious if she came back uninjured, she had deliberately cut herself from shoulder to stomach. She waited three days before returning to her village with a wild tale of being attacked by missing nin and had barely survived as she watched her team be slaughtered. It didn't take long before the ANBU from Stone had confirmed what the committee had feared. Before they could arrest her, Junko Rai had disappeared from the village.

Years of practice had only made her more sadistic. She loved to watch as her victims writhed in pain and called out for the release of death. Rai loved to watch men especially. She hated men. Kakashi guessed that at some point in her childhood a man had raped her repeatedly. He could only guess at who, but she had been close to him at any rate or the hatred wouldn't have been so great. He wondered how the Stone Academy could have missed such depravity, but it wasn't his concern. All he cared about was doing his job and getting some sleep.

Kakashi yawned. "I won't fall to you, Rai."

Snarling, Rai jumped forward. "All men fall to me." She bared her teeth in her next smile.

Kakashi chuckled and stuck a hand into his pocket. "I'm not like all men, my dear woman."

She cocked her head grinned. "All men are the same."

"Women bore me."

"This one will make you think about boredom."

"I'd rather sleep with an eel."

"Huh?" Thrown off guard, she blinked rapidly as it to clear the image away.

Laughing to himself, Kakashi elaborated. He was going to kill her anyway. "Women are nothing more than charming, irritating enigmas that bore the hell out of me. Besides, they suck in bed." He added the last part to see how far her hatred went.

Screaming in rage, her hatred overtaking her common sense, Rai rushed forward. Two kunai flew from her hands as she leapt at the last few feet to deliver a flying drop kick onto her tormentor. As he covered his head with his hands, her foot barely touched them as she reared back into a arch, pulling another kunai from her pouch to slash as his knees, stomach, and groin. One handed she pushed off from the ground and spun her legs. Not meeting resistance, she gained her balance. A satisfied smile tickled her lips. Laying at her feet was the bloodied body of the most dangerous ninja in Konaha. She started to laugh.

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet, Junko Rai," a silvery voice said in her ear.

A sharp blade slipped across her throat. Warm wetness painted her skin as it flowed from her veins. She watched as the body turned to a simple branch. She could have kicked herself for the mistake. She turned dimming green eyes to her killer. The Sharingan was whirling madly as it watched her go down to her knees. Her eyes burned now and it was getting colder. She kept herself propped up on her arms.

Kakashi watched with disdain as the woman succumbed to blood loss. It wasn't really a challenge for him, but it was sad to see a good nin die. If only she hadn't been molested when she was younger, she would have been one of the Stone's best ninjas. Bending, he untied her protector and slipped it into his side pouch and pulled out the small camera. After the confirmation shot, he packed it up and headed back for the village. He was tired and needed sleep. The Sharingan hadn't drained him to much, but combined with his sleepless night, it was enough to wipe him out.

(a) (a) (a)

Dust shifted as spears of light filtered through the minute windows of a distant basement. Shuffling floated from a far corner of the nearly forgotten storage room as a woman reached for a box above her head. Barely able to grip the box, she juggled it to the edge hoping that it would get enough inertia to fall into her arms. The small brown box was encased in dust and was well over seven years old if she had read the date right. Could this be what she had spent the last few days scouring the storage room for? As the box fell, she caught it with a deft movement.

"Time to see what's been hidden for so long," she murmured, snuffling as the dust tickled her nose. She carefully placed the box onto a larger pile of boxes to better open it. "I hope I'm right."

Taking a kunai from her holster, she slid the sharp blade under the seal, breaking the tape. Opening the box, she blinked at the contents. A old mask stared up at her. There was nothing on it at all except for a kanji reading balance. _Strange_. Carefully lifting the mask she noticed that it was broken around the lower left facing. She couldn't tell what had caused the break, but it had been powerful to crack the heavy and reinforced ceramic mask. Under it was piled several papers with nearly unintelligable writing. She could make out a few words but not enough to understand what was being reported. She set aside the papers to read into further and pulled out a tattered and blood stained shirt, if that is what you could call the almost non-existent piece of cloth. It looked more like an ANBU tank than a shirt. Studying it, a glint caught her eye. Buried under what she assumed was a pair of pants, she spotted more bloodstained articles. Resting under the pants was a set of arm guards with numerous scars from weapons. Who could have worn this and why was it buried so deep in the storage areas?

Even more curious were the papers. If they were reports, why weren't they in the mission files? The mask and armor were of ANBU caliber, but who in the village had ever heard of a nameless agent with only a symbol for a name? Sneezing, she picked up the papers again and tried to piece together some answers.

Going over them carefully, she discovered that the owner of the box was called Kinkou. _Original_. She smirked and read on. Kinkou was very sucessful and only did a few missions of secrecy. Over a three year period, Kinkou had only been in play six times and had always come back sucessful. The documents weren't clear on what Kinkou had done, only that it had been completed. As she read deeper into it, she discovered that eight years ago, Kinkou had broken in a really bad way resulting in retirement. As much as she searched, she could not find out anything else. Growling, she stuffed everything back into the box and tossed it back onto the shelf.

"What the hell is up with this Kinkou and how is he related to Iruka-sensei and Sarutobi-sama?" Anko snarled. "I wonder why Ibiki doesn't know about this." She would have to ask him about it some other time. He was off on a mission and wouldn't be back for some time. It looked as if she would have to dig up the information on her own. But who had been around long enough to know anything about this Kinkou character?

Grinning, Anko went in search of a furry and sneaky little animal.

(a) (a) (a)

The plot thickens! Not really, but it does get a little strange from here on. There is only one more chapter to Whispering Illusions and then we move onto to the next part of the series. This one will be called Illusion's Folly and continue where WI left off. I have, _possibly_, three more parts to this series before I move on to something else. In between series, there will be a some short 3-4 chapter side stories and a one shot or two. (Kinkou means balance in Japanese for those that don't know.)

I think you'll like how Part One will end. -_grins gleefully_- It took me long enough to work on it!

Anyway, sorry for the long wait in the updates. Life happened...annoying when that happens. So don't kill me. The next update will be after the weekend as I won't be at home to finish the touch-ups and post. Family visits are on the menu for the weekend. Bleh...

Oh yeah! I almost forgot. I would like to get your feedback on who I should make the first side story about. I haven't decided if I was going to do one about Genma/Raidou, Asuma/Kurenai, or any of the others. Those are usually are my top characters, but I would be glad to work on something you would like to read about.

Until the next update...

Ja!


	12. Screaming

Disclaimer: I do not own Simple Plan's "Untitled" or any of the Naruto characters. I just like to mess with thier heads. 

(a) (a) (a)

Whispering Illusions

Final Chapter

Screaming

(a) (a) (a)

_I open my eyes  
I try to see but I'm blinded by the white light  
I can't remember how  
I can't remember why  
I'm lying here tonight_

Iruka cracked open his eyes, breaking the crust that had formed from the drying tears he had shed. Things were so...**wrong**! He didn't want the rage and fear to come back. He would be happy with the fear only. He knew how to deal with that. It was the all consuming rage that wouldn't be quenched until he had something to sap it from his being.

Running a hand through his messy hair, he brushed the crud away and peered out from his hiding place. Blinking, he stared out across a gently rolling plain. A cool night breeze blew across the grass making it appear as a great green ocean. It was beautiful. He didn't remember much since stopping at the edge of Fire and he didn't want to. It hurt to much to think about it. He wondered if the others were looking for him yet.

Iruka sneered as he thought of himself being declared Missing. He could just see the laughter dancing across so many faces as his picture went into the Bingo book. He would be marked as almost non-threatening. He was weaker than most shinobi from his village, but he was smarter and faster than half of them. Especially since his training with Gai. Sighing heavily, he leaned back on his arms and thought about his next move.

_And I can't stand the pain  
And I can't make it go away  
No, I can't stand the pain_

Thoughts raced through his head and memories surfaced. Memories of the night before. Memories of that pale as death face close to his, thier breath mingling, bodies pressed together. Iruka grunted and flopped onto his elbow. It made him warm, but it also made him want to cry. Why had he left him there all alone?Why?

_How could this happen to me  
I made my mistakes  
I've got no where to run  
The night goes on_

Kakashi stepped from his shower. Grabbing a towel from the shelf, he wrapped it around his waist, barely glancing at his reflection as he passed the mirror. Tomadochi lay beneath the table scratching at an itch. Pakkun was asleep on his bed. Again. He rolled his eyes, but let the nin dog sleep. A smile playing about his lips, he rummaged through the bag of junk food he had bought before coming home and collapsing on his bed in a dead sleep. He pulled some instant noodles out and set about making his dinner.

As he was about to eat the steaming noodles, a knock came at his door. He wondered who it was and why the late visit. It was well after midnight and most of the village was asleep. Shrugging, he slipped a mask over his head and fitted it to his lower face. He would have to keep his Sharingan squeezed shut for the time being. Taking the few steps needed to get the door, he opened it to a worn out looking Asuma.

"I'm _so_ glad you are home, Kakashi. We need to talk," Asuma ground out as he pushed his way into the small apartment.

Kakashi didn't try to keep him out. Something was bothering the Jounin enough for him to invade his private space and it had to be really important. He closed the door and followed him back into the apartment.

"What has you so riled, Asuma?" Tomadochi asked. Both he and Pakkun had smelled the irritation and frustration that was emanating from him.

Asuma lit a cigarette and turned on Kakashi. "What gave you the right to do that to Iruka?" he blasted, smoke escaping at each word.

"Do what to Iruka?" Kakashi asked, a little stunned at the venom behind Asuma's words.

Asuma snorted and took another hit. "You know bloody well what I'm talking about. Iruka came back to camp early yesterday morning and was in a really pissy mood. It looked strange that you didn't come back with him. You can't do that to someone like him, Kakashi. He's not that kind of person. He's too nice."

Kakashi knitted his brows together to try and figure out what was going on. He understood some of what Asuma was telling him, but not why he was so damn pissed at him for. Yes, he had left Iruka alone, but it was for a mission. Had no one told him about his mission? He was getting pretty damn fed up with the accusation in the Sarutobi's eyes.

"Hold on a minute, Asuma. Just what the hell are you so all fire pissed at me for?" He crossed his arms over his naked chest and waited for the answer.

Asuma flipped the butt out a window and replied, "Because of your careless handling of Iruka and not a little of Genma's mouth has made Iruka totally fucking mad at us. He threw Genma across the camp with a jutsu. He's never done that to any of us before. He said he was leaving the camp. Not only that, but we get back this morning to find that he's nowhere to be found and his apartment's empty." Asuma glared at his friend.

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders. "What has that got to do with me? I was called away to do a mission. I've been doing that and then I came home for some sleep. What do you want me to say?" Tomadochi glared at him. Pakkun snorted but otherwise kept quiet.

Asuma stalked over to Kakashi and stared into his eyes, not letting the Sharingan scare him. "He will be declared Missing if he's done what I think he's done. And if he has been, then you are going to go after him."

Kakashi smiled. "Iruka would never become a Missing Nin. He loves the village to much to betray her like that. I bet he's just letting the steam off somewhere on the other side of the country."

Growling, Asuma smashed a hand into the wall beside Kakashi's head. "Dammit to hell, Kakashi! He's left the damn country! I've been tracking his movements and it leads to Grass. I can't keep the information secret for more than a day. After that, he's Missing and goes into the Bingo book!" Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he turned away from the rail thin man. "Do you know what will happen when that git's name goes into the book?"

Kakashi stopped smiling. _Iruka left the country_? He had never thought that Iruka would betray the village. He knew that to leave without letting anyone know was tantamount to declaring independence of Konoha. _**What had he done**_! Iruka knew what it meant to leave the village. Why had he done it? It couldn't have been because of him? Could it? Asuma's final words finally sunk in. Iruka was fast, but not by any means was he strong enough to fight off the Hunters that would surely come after him. **_The idiot_**!

Kakashi came away from the wall. He needed to get to work. He wasn't quite ready to let this new interest get away from him and he would be damned if it was his actions that caused the young man to be killed. Grabbing a uniform from the wardrobe, he dressed quickly and strapped his equipment on. He turned back to Asuma as he tied the protector onto his head and adjusted it.

"He'll be hunted until he's brought back alive by us or dead by another village. Give me two days, Asuma," Kakashi said in a dead voice.

Asuma nodded. "I'll do my best. From what Genma has been able to gather, if Iruka goes into the book, he will be a threat to any village he comes across." He scratched his head. "I don't understand how that can be possible. He's never done anything to be declared a threat to anyone besides the kids he teaches." He smiled at the last comment.

Kakashi frowned. "A threat? I thought that was only for Jounin level and above? Why a Chunin like Iruka?" He continued to gather the supplies he would need for a four day trip, though he hoped to track the teacher down in less than a day.

Asuma nodded, lighting another cigarette. "I don't understand it either. Genma was told this by Ibiki, but not the reasons why. Something is going on around here and I don't like it."

_As I'm fading away  
I'm sick of this life  
I just wanna scream  
How could this happen to me_

Finished with the rice balls he had packed, Iruka lay back on the rock outside his cave. It was a lovely night, but he found no solace in it. Nothing was worth anything to him anymore. He had abandoned his village, his life, his friends. What was left for him? By now the Hunters would be out looking for him. He had been gone for a couple of days, more than enough time for his disappearence to be noticed. He wondered if Kakashi cared. Thinking of him made the rage boil up again.

_He didn't have to leave me like that_! _If it was something important, he could have told me and I would have understood_. _What the hell am I_? _Was I just a quick fuck_? _An amusing little toy that he grew tired of so quickly_?

Snarling, Iruka threw himself to the grassy meadow. He needed to hit something. Spying a tree a few meters away, he stalked over to it. The first few punches hurt, but after a while he didn't care. It felt good. A while later, the red haze of his rage lifted and he noticed the pain lancing through his arms. He blinked in confusion at the tree. A hole had been bored through it and was stained in blood. Lifting his hands, he stared dumbly at the ruined mess of his knuckles. _No wonder it hurt to open my hands_. Gathering his chakra, Iruka dulled the pain. He would have to clean his hands before they became infected.

After cleaning his hands, Iruka sat down. What he really needed was to be back in the village. He needed to apologize to Genma and the others. It wasn't thier fault that his temper was getting harder to control. But if he was Missing, it would be pointless to go back to the village. He would have to spend time locked up in the prison and he didn't want to face Mizuki. Just the thought made him shiver. He couldn't expect his old friend to go easy on him.

_Everybody's screaming  
I try to make a sound but no one hears me  
I'm slipping off the edge  
I'm hanging by a thread  
I wanna start this over again_

Catching a noise from above him, Iruka dove out of the way. A split second more and he would have been shishkabob. The veiled man stood and watched as Iruka picked himself off the ground. Covered in a gray and black material, it wasn't hard to guess where the man was from. Glinting in the fading moonlight the scratched through Wave crest winked. _Dammit_! _Why do I have to get this guy_? Iruka's eye widened as three more melted from the shadows. _I'm in deep shit_.

He hadn't worn his protector, so maybe they just thought him some traveler. Or at least he hoped they thought that. It would be bad enough to be working with water and air with these guys around and he had very little chakra left after dulling the pain of his injuries and speeding the healing along. He would have to rely on his speed to keep him from being killed.

"What have we here, boys?" the leader crowed as he watched the young brown skinned man pick himself off the ground. "I think we found us a new plaything." The men with him laughed in pleasure. "What do you say, boy? Want to play with us?" he snickered at his own words.

"No, I do not. I've been traveling all day and night. I just want to rest," Iruka hedged, peering around the rocks to study the three men joining the leader. "What do you want?" He really wasn't in any kind of mood to be pestered.

The leader leapt to the ground and walked around Iruka. He removed his veil and smiled, his sharpened teeth shining dully. "Nothing much. Just a little entertainment and some food. Isn't that right, boys?" The men made sounds of agreement and little laughs filtered through thier rank. "You don't happen to have anything to eat do you?"

Iruka tried to keep calm. He knew what they were after and he wasn't going to provide them with any kind of entertainment. He kept a watchful eye on the smaller of the four. He was snooping around the rocks and would find his cave soon if Iruka didn't do something to keep thier attention on him. He would stand no chance of beating them on his own, but if he could take the leader and the second largest, then he could run. It just depended on the level these men were on. The leader was probably a Jounin and the others were probably Chunin. He had to risk it or otherwise, he would be dead.

Smiling, Iruka rubbed the back of his head. "You caught me at a bad time. I just finished off the last of my supplies and was hoping to reach a town by tomorrow. You wouldn't happen to know of any around these parts would you?" He kept watch for an opening to tackle the leader. It would have to be fast and quick.

The leader raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "Not anywhere close. Two, maybe three days to the north. But that's not what I'm hungry for."

"Oh?" Iruka feined ingnorance.

"What I crave is your blood, little man!" the leader shrieked as he lunged at Iruka.

Stepping to the side, Iruka slipped a hidden kunai from his sleeve and slashed the man's throat as the leader passed him. Knicking him, Iruka knew he was in trouble. The blade hadn't penetrated the jugular vien, but had only skinned over it. Taking a defensive position, he wished he had remembered to bring his sword with him. He felt a fool as the four men bore down on him. What was he going to do now? The wind saved him somewhat. He could smell the trees. Turning, he bolted for the trees. If he could get into them, he could take out at least one of the men before they got him.

Cries of pursuit following close behind, Iruka pulled another kunai from his waist pouch. Things weren't going well at all. Gaining the trees, he felt the brush of a shuriken as it flew by his head. Yelping in surprise, he missed the root coming into his path. Tumbling, he barely gained his feet as one of the other men tackled him. Grunting, they went to the forest floor in a tumble. Not wanting to give away his position to anyone else, Iruka kept as quiet as possible as he wrestled with the Missing Nin. One kunai was knocked from his grip as he fought to keep the other's from his throat. Freeing a hand, Iruka judged the other to be a Chunin by his strength. Reaching up with difficulty, he freed the senbon from his hair and pierced the man's eye, shoving it all the way home. His dying scream echoing through the trees, Iruka pushed him away and took his weapons. Three more were out there and it didn't look good for him. He wiped the blood from his face and leapt to a branch above.

A deadly calm settled over him as the blood dried. It was a welcome calm, but with that calm came the blood rage. A kill had fueled it and it wanted more. There was nothing that could calm that inferno in the pit of his stomach except more blood. But to give into that calm and deadly blood rage would mean to let a part of himself go. He had done it once before and it had nearly killed him. Could he trust himself enough now to bring himself back from the edge of madness? Would he even want to come back.

Not having time to answer that burning question, the last two lackeys appearred below him. A bloody smile painting his lips, he waited as they scanned the trees. Nearly losing his patience, Iruka barely breathed as they noticed him sitting above them.

"Lookit what I found," he taunted. "It seems the fishing is good today."

"You killed Kai, you bastard!" the smaller of them shouted up at him.

Iruka laughed, not knowing his own voice as he called back, "All's fair in war, boy!"

Snarling, the small one went through hand seals and formed mist clones. Four clones surrounded him and beared thier teeth at the bloody man laughing at them. Two of them launched toward the taunter. Iruka sneered and let his rage engulf him. He didn't want this, but it was the only way he could survive and he was damned if he would die before he had his revenge on Kakashi. Chakra molded, Iruka threw a great ball of wind into the gathering mist, dispersing it, only to follow it with a leap to the ground. Not giving the men time to gather it around again, he formed an earth jutsu and released it, knocking them off thier feet. He rushed at the larger man, kunai flashing as he slit him from gullet to groin, dancing away from the blood spray, the man's screams floating through the night air.

The smaller man stood and screamed in rage. Two of his partners were dead and the demon that was responsible was smiling through the blood, watching him with a calm that was scary. He would kill the man with his own hands. Screw the jutsus he had been taught. They wouldn't be enough to banish a demon from this world. Screaming again, he lunged at Iruka, shuriken flying. Iruka dodged most of them, one digging into his lower arm. He winced slightly in pain, but stayed focused as the boy charged him.

Iruka took the first punch in the chest, folding forward. The next blow took all his concentration to follow. A swift left uppercut was easily dodged with his new flexability, but the roundhouse kick that followed wasn't. The boy was fast, almost as fast as he was. This fight would be determined by how quickly the other could recover. Iruka went back as the kick connected with his ribs. Grunting, he swung his injured arm out, hitting the boy in the chest. They both grunted, but Iruka pressed forward, rapid punches to the abdomen and chest driving the other back. Coughing the boy charged, jumped into the air, and released three kunai with explosive tags. Cursing, Iruka leapt for the nearest tree, weaving from branch to branch to catch the boy as he ran.

Panting, Iruka found him leaning against a tree also trying to catch his breath. As silently as a shadow, Iruka came up behind him, pinning his arms. He could smell the fear, rage, and hopelessness on him. Not letting his conscience get the better of him, he slid the kunai into the boy's heart. Spotting the leader a few yards away, Iruka carefully aimed and sent the kunai into his throat. The man's dying gurgles fading into the night.

He was tired of the cat and mouse and just wanted to rest. His ribs were on fire and he didn't have enough chakra left to deaden the pain. Before going back to camp, he scavenged the bodies, taking thier weapons, money, and protectors. A camera was hidden in the leader's bag, so Iruka used it to take thier pictures. If anything, the leader was in the Bingo book and would fetch a nice bounty in one of the villages. That is, if he was ever going to be allowed into one. Sighing tiredly, he went back to camp.

**_Damn, I hurt_**.

_So I try to hold onto a time when nothing mattered  
And I can't explain what happened  
And I can't erase the things that I've done  
No I can't_

_How could this happen to me  
I made my mistakes  
Got no where to run  
The night goes on  
As I'm fading away  
I'm sick of this life  
I just wanna scream  
How could this happen to me_

_I made my mistakes  
Got no where to run  
The night goes on  
As I'm fading away  
I'm sick of this life  
I just wanna scream  
How could this happen to me_

(a) (a) (a)

A/N: I've re-written this so many times, I finally gave up and left it alone. Angsty much? Irritation will do that to some people.

This song was perfect for the end of Part One: Whispering Illusions. I listened to it for a couple of hours straight until I went nuts, screamed and tore out of the house. I'm a nut job. XP Anyway, I didn't know how to work this one out and got tired to re-writing it. This is what I came up with. Hopefully, you won't kill me over it. I might revise it later. I don't know yet.

I have already written two chapters of Part Two: Illusion's Folly. I need to proof them and then get them into the computer for your reading enjoyment, but until that time, I have two One Shots to give you. By popular vote it will be Genma/Raidou and Asuma/Kurenai. Until the next part...

Ja!


	13. Intermission: Total Confusion

Intermission 

Total Confusion

(a) (a) (a)

What Genma really wanted was to go home. He'd been miserable for the last twenty-four hours and Raidou was still pissed at him. He didn't want that at all. All he wanted was to be held and told that it was alright and that Iruka would be okay. He missed the Chunin and wished he could take back what he had said to him. Hell, he would even let the smaller man put itching powder in his clothes again!

Glancing at the clock, he groaned. Three more hours of reports to file and missions to hand out. Would he survive until then? For the moment his attention was being diverted to a heated argument between Anko and Kurenai. Curious now, he pretended to file reports as he got closer to the arguing women. What could those two be fighting about now? It was rare for them to fight and especially where others could see. The kuniochi of the village were highly protective of one another for some reason. He just thought them insane.

"I'm telling you there's something Ibiki isn't telling me!" Anko raged, stamping a foot in frustration.

Kurenai snorted and raised an eyebrow, humor glinting her red eyes. "Did you expect him to tell you everything you wanted to know? This is Morino Ibiki we're talking about."

Anko glared at her best friend. "That's not the point! I found that stuff in one of the storage rooms. Who put it down there and why is there no evidence of this Kinkou person on the main record scrolls? I swear there is something fishy going on around this village." Anko slammed her fist into the wall making dust sift down from the rafters.

Kurenai shrugged and shook her head. "If it was down there from eight years ago, who knows. Besides, what happens if you get caught with that stuff in your apartment? Don't you think Tsunade-sama or even Ibiki would have something to say about you nosing around in the basement of the Hokage's building?"

Anko growled at Kurenai. "No. Besides, I asked Ibiki as soon as he got back this morning. He didn't know what I was talking about. But he's lying. I know he is! There is no way that he's head of Intelligence and not know what the last head had stored in his files."

Both women had started to wander down the stairs and Genma couldn't hear the rest of thier interesting argument. He was intrigued himself now. This was something to get him out of the doldrums. He needed something to do to keep his mind off of Iruka's flight. Besides, it wouldn't make him feel any better if he kept lingering on his stupidity. The first thing he would need to do would be to corner Anko, not a pleasent thing in itself, and question her about her findings. Unlike her, he could access files that only one like him could. Anyway, he'd been working in the mission office for several years and knew where most of the secret files and scrolls had been stored. It was one of the main reasons he wasn't out on missions like the rest of the village.

In a brighter mood than earlier, Genma left the office and headed for home. There was no sense in tracking Anko down at this time. She would be having her supper and it wasn't a good practice to interrupt her food intake. He had a couple of scars for that mistake. He absently rubbed his ribs and entered his apartment. It felt empty without Raidou, but he wasn't going to see him for a few hours yet. Quickly making himself something to eat, Genma geared up for his search.

After pestering the residential district on the wherabouts of Anko, Genma hit the entertainment district. She could be in several of the many bars lining the streets. He could only hope that she was in her favorite one. Smiling, Genma poked his head into the loudest of the bars. Not spotting her, he exited and went to another across the street. She wasn't there either. Two hours later, he had nearly given up when he spotted her wobbling toward him. She was more inebriated than she had been in a while and he couldn't think of a reason for her behavior.

"Oi! Anko!" he called, catching up to her.

Anko glared at him blearily and smiled goofily at him. "Genma!" She looked to the left of him and frowned. "When'd you get a twin?" She giggled and hiccoughed.

Genma's nose burned at the acidic fumes issuing from Anko's mouth, but he grinned none the less. "Never had one, Anko. When'd you start drinking heavily?"

"S'not in a while. In fact, this evening," she slurred, throwing an arm around Genma's waist. She stumbled and was glad he was there. "Drowning my sorrows is all."

"And what could they be?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her to keep her straight.

"You work in the mission office." She blinked at him owlishly.

"Yes. What about it?" He probably knew what she was going to say, but wanted to hear it from her lips.

"Ever heard of an ANBU called Kinkou?" She burped lightly and conitnued. "I've been wondering what all this crap has been about Iruka's mission logs. He's just a Chunin, but he has missions ranked above what he should have. I was searching for something about this when I came across this old box full of ANBU gear and old reports. Want to see?" She grinned at him drunkenly.

Genma wanted to see this box and the contents. He helped Anko to her apartment and opened the door for her. "By the way, Anko. Where did you find that box?" He watched as she stumbled around the livingroom and into her bedroom. Curses and several bangs later, she came out carrying the box.

"Remember that old storage room that the Sandaime had sealed a few years ago?" she asked as she placed the box on the small coffee table in front of her cream colored couch. "Well, the guys up there have been cleaning out the old storage rooms and had broken the seal on that one. Only a few things had been moved around, so they haven't done a thorough search in there. I just happened to pull duty and was there. I was looking for something to give me clues to Iruka's past with the Sandaime, when I came across this box." She giggled again and fell onto the couch with a thump.

Genma rubbed the bridge of his nose. This woman was really just asking for trouble. He just knew that he shouldn't encourage her, but he had to know what she had found out. Maybe it was something even better than Iruka's cloudy past. "And what did you find exactly?"

Anko opened the box and carefully, as carefully as she could when she was blind drunk, lifted the mask and the few reports she had been able to decipher out. "All that was left was this broken mask, these badly written reports, and some scarred guards. I've been working on the reports, but haven't gotten much out of them." She sighed loudly. Stretching out on the couch, she lifted her feet onto a couch arm. "I've only been able to find out that eight years ago, Kinkou was in play and was retired six years ago. He suffered from a major break and was deemed unfit for further duty."

Genma perched on the edge of the couch back and looked over the reports. They were badly written, as if by a child, and were heavily water stained. Whoever had stored these must have put them under a leak, but looking at the box, he concluded that the papers had been doused in water some other way.

"How do you know that Kinkou was a male?" he asked, taking the mask and studying it. He traced the kanji on it's forehead.

"It's in one of the medical reports. I can't remember which one though," Anko said through a yawn.

"Do you mind if I look through these, Anko?" Genma asked, standing. It was time to leave. "I could work on them tonight and see if I can find out anything for you."

Anko blinked and shrugged. "Suit yourself, Genma. I've about exhausted myself with them. Who knows? Maybe you can find something I couldn't." She yawned again and waved him away. "Shut the door on your way out, would you?"

Leaving a few minutes later with the box, Genma made his way home. The box had only raised more questions, making him that more anxious to solve the problem of the mysterious Kinkou. How come he had never heard of this ANBU person? True he wasn't allowed to view the names of the ANBU, but he was required to read over the reports as they came to him from Ibiki to be filed. Most of them were so badly written it was a miracle that they were even allowed to be ANBU. Well, he could reconstruct the reports and have a better idea of the person Kinkou was. It would help take his mind off the more pressing problems in his life anyway.

Reaching his and Raidou's apartment, he kicked open the door and closed it with his heel. The lights were still out and meant that Raidou wasn't home yet. _Maybe in another hour or so_, he thought. Setting the box on the kitchen table, he turned the lights on. Grabbing a glass from the cabinet, he poured himself some cold melon juice and set it beside the box. Taking the least of the damaged papers, Genma grabbed a pencil and paper and set about deciphering.

Hearing the front door open, Genma stopped working to greet his partner. A heated kiss or two later, Genma was explaining his newest hobby to Raidou. Raidou grinned and patted Genma on the head. Smiling like a fool, Genma followed the older man into the bedroom. They discussed the project at length as they stripped and headed for the bathroom. After bathing, they soaked in the tub. Genma laying happily against Raidou's broad and scarred chest as Raidou played his fingers up and down Genma's arms.

"So what do you and Anko plan on doing with that box once you've solved your little mystery?" Raidou asked, kissing the top of Genma's head.

Genma twisted around to smile up at his mate. "I don't know. I'll give it back to Anko as soon as I find out what those reports are hiding. She's been at Ibiki's throat trying to pry the information from him."

Raidou chuckled at the picture that presented. "Good luck to her for that. Why she even went to him is beyond me." Gently pushing Genma away, Raidou stepped out of the bath. "I'm tired and I have to get up early tomorrow. Tsunade-sama is in one of her moods and wants us all there early." He stopped long enough to towel his hair dry before wrapping the green material around his hips. "You coming to bed?"

Genma emptied the tub and dried off. "Not yet. I have to finish that report. I've only got a few more paragraphs to go and then I'll be joining you."

"As long as you don't pull an all nighter on me again," Raidou smiled. "I can't sleep well if you aren't there beside me."

"I promise. No all nighter." Genma slipped into a pair of boxers and headed for the kitchen again after a brief kiss.

Taking up his pencil, Genma got back to work. After what seemed an eternity, he yawned and made a final notation on the paper. Locating the clock, he squeeked in surprise at the time and quickly went to bed. He'd have to be up in a few hours to make Raidou something to eat and get him ready for work. Snuggling into the larger man, he fell asleep almost instantly.

(a) (a) (a)

Having gotten Raidou off to work on time, Genma poured himself some more coffee and sat back down at the table. He had enough time to work on one more page before he needed to get to work himself. Sipping his coffee, he was halfway through the report when he noticed a side notation that was almost obliterated from the water stains. Straining his eyes, he noticed the handwriting was somewhat familiar. He tried to remember where he had seen it before but he just couldn't put his finger on it. Taking a last gulp of lukewarm coffee, Genma gathered up two pages of the report. He could work on them when the office went on standby later that morning. Dressed, he was off to work.

He didn't have to wait for very long before the office was empty. Taking out the reports, he worked on them a few minutes before he stopped in surprise.

_What the hell was this_? _A joke_?

He looked at the report again and then at his notes. There was no mistaking it. It was just to weird though. How could the entire village miss this Kinkou and not known of his existence? Well, it was pretty easy, but not that easy. Most of the village knew the Konoha ANBU on sight because of thier masks, but since he could remember there was no mention of this Kinkou in the ANBU. Ibiki would have to know what this was all about, but there was no talking to him. He wasn't the head of the intelligence sector for nothing. Genma could only stare at the information he had uncovered in these long forgotten reports.

_Until recently, Kinkou has been sucessful in all his missions. The boy's intelligence and instincts have kept him from breaking like so many of our other operatives. This latest and nearly deadly mission has raised some concerns that I had not wished to ever be brought to my attention, but this latest mishap has troubled me to no end. The confirmation team was only a few hours behind Kinkou, but what they reported to me of the theat he was to render harmless made them heartsick._

_ Kinkou's rage has overcome his common sense and left the target an unrecognizable pile of flesh. The ferocity of this latest mission has caused me to call him back and to retire him. I must somehow deal with this before he becomes completely unhinged. It is in this village's best interest to erase the most horrid of these missions from his mind and to work on his memories enough to seal this damning evidence away from the known reports. If not, God help anyone that awakens the rage the boy has inside him. He is not forgiving in his punishments. As much as it would pain me to lose this brilliant operative, I must, for the sake of my own conscience, destroy what he cannot ever regain._

_ God forgive me for what I have made this boy out of misguided love. I must make him into something he would never have wanted, but it must be done to protect those that he has come to love and the village he loves above all else. I will entrust to him a new life that will help him come to terms with his past. And may God protect the poor souls that he will guide to the glory of this village._

_ S._

Genma wasn't very sure about this, but he needed to talk to Anko as soon as possible. If his suspicions were correct, then there was going to be hell to pay. He didn't want to be around when this blew up in thier faces.

(a) (a) (a)

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but I was trying to tie in Anko's search with this whole plot...thingy. I did throw in some fluffy G/R, so you can't hurt me. Well, not to much.

I'm currently working on the next installment for this fic and it could possibly have a little Asuma/Kurenai fluff before I get back to the main focus of Kakashi and Iruka. So just a little longer and we'll be back on track with our favorite love birds.


	14. Part Two: Illusion's Folly

Part Two 

Ilusion's Folly

Chapter 14

Mistakes

(a) (a) (a)

Sunlight burned into Iruka's eyes as he awakened. He hurt in places he had forgotten about and being reminded of them as he moved around. Gathering what strength he could, he raised himself into a sitting position. His clothing was bloody and torn. _How had that happened_? A flash of memory and he had his answer. The four Missing nins had attacked him. Now he remembered. Groaning at the images that followed that vision, Iruka stared at his hands. He had killed again and hadn't remembered it until it was over. Would the pain of death ever leave him?

Another, older vision crossed his mind. A man was running for his life as a white masked ghost followed close behind. Wearing ANBU clothing, the masked man, more like boy from his height and weight, chased the man through a rocky canyon. The man was screaming in terror and suffered from several cuts, all superficial, but carrying immense pain. The man turned and Iruka saw the Rock symbol flash from around the man's neck before the white ghost engulfed him.

Iruka was shaking as the vision cleared. He didn't know who the masked ANBU was, but he knew that he was from Konoha. He didn't know how, but he reminded him of some long forgotten person. Maybe it was the sword. It looked an awful lot like the one his father used to have. Iruka shook his head to clear the horrible images from his mind. Why had he seen that? He didn't know who that person was or who the Rock shinobi was. It was confusing to say the least.

Reaching up to clear the hair from his eyes, Iruka winced. He was hurting and would need to take care of the wounds before they became infected. Groping for his pack, he pulled out what little salve and bandages he brought with him. As carefully as he could, he undressed and set about cleaning the myriad scrapes and cuts along his arms and chest. There were probably wounds on his back, but there was no way he could reach them on his own. Shaking from the effort of patching himself back up, Iruka fell onto his side. The salve would deaden the worst of the pain, working its magic as it healed.

What seemed an eternity later as the burning salve turned icy, Iruka sat up again. It was early afternoon by the set of the sun's rays against the rocks outside. It had taken a long time for the medicine to work and his stomach was growling. It was time to eat. Again he reached for his pack and pulled out some soldier pills. They would sustain his body until he was able to make a fire to cook over. Taking two, he felt the surge of energy he would need to clean what he could of his clothes and put fresh ones on. It was going to be getting cold later and he would need the warmth they afforded from the still chill nights in Grass.

The pills having given him enough of a boost to leave his rocky hideout, Iruka gathered up some firewood. He sniffed the air. _Yech_! The bodies were a fair distance away but they would have to be taken to another spot before they became anymore foul. It wouldn't help his wounds either if the very air was poisoned. Leaving the firewood, Iruka went off to dispose of the bodies. He found the first two slumped together. Luckily they weren't very heavy. Taking an ankle from each of the bodies, Iruka channeled extra Chakra into his arms and legs, pulling the bodies to a nearby ravine. An hour later saw him kicking the last of the bodies over the lip and into the blackness of below.

He had never thought that killing another human being would be so easy, but it was necessity that had prompted him to kill these men. He hadn't looked at thier faces as he tossed them over. He didn't want to know what they looked like or how old they were. It would be to painful to remember. Sighing, he turned away from the ravine, making his way back to the hideout.

(a) (a) (a)

Kakashi had been tracking the idiot's movements for most of the night. Pakkun was nearly useless as they sprinted through the forests, trying to catch Iruka's day old scent. He was tired, hungry, and just a bit pissed at the hand that fate had dealt him. Why was it that he had to track the Chuunin down and not Genma? It was his fault for making the man run away. A wave of guilt washed over him on the last thought. Well, not entirely Genma's fault. He should have said something instead of taking off like he had. He grumbled to himself.

"Heads up, Kakashi!" Pakkun snapped. He was sitting a few meters ahead staring at a far off rock shelf.

Kakashi came to a stop and knelt beside the little pug. "What is it?"

Pakkun looked back over his shoulder. "He's in those rocks." He stopped Kakashi with a short bark. "But, I smell blood and death."

Kakashi went white. _Please don't let him be dead_.

"Let's go, Pakkun. I need to know," Kakashi whispered through a too tight throat. "If anything, we'll have to take the body back for burial."

Pakkun sensed the fear coming from his master, but let it be. The man had kicked himself enough over the last few hours and it would kill him if another of his friends were dead. He could only hope that the little brown teacher was still alive.

Nodding, they set out. It was late in the afternoon and it was getting darker. The winds were blowing downwind and kept thier scents away from the shelf. Before reaching the last kilometer, each masked thier Chakra and crept into the rocks below. Pakkun alerted Kakashi when he caught the sounds of movement ahead. Signaling the pug to go higher, Kakashi silently made his way forward. Taking a kunai from the holster on his leg, he peered over the top a large boulder and had to duck in the same instant.

"Shit!" he breathed. Crouching, he looked around the rock again. Again he had to dodge a kunai. _Not good_. Leaping away, he heard the clink of metal hitting rock and looked behind him to see a shuriken bounce away from where he had been a second before. _Definitely not good_.

Lifting his hitai-ate, Kakashi felt the Sharigan whirl as it tried to track the next incoming missile. _There_! Swiftly, he turned and launched from a small boulder, speeding away from the rocks and into the small stand of trees below. If he could just..._Ah_! Another kunai was thrown and Kakashi quickly followed its path. He knew where the person was now. All he had to do was make it there. Dodging another shuriken and three more kunais, Kakashi finally spotted movement. He was fast, he would give him that, but not fast enough. The Sharingan locked onto its target, Kakashi sped through the trees, keeping the shadow in sight as he gained on it. Taking aim, he threw his own kunai and was rewarded with a strangled yelp and the shadow going down gripping it's right calf. _Bingo_!

(a) (a) (a)

Iruka tried to keep the pain from clouding his brain. He needed a quick plan to get rid of whoever was tracking him now. It had been blind luck that he had seen movement above his camp. He hadn't been sure what had made him turn to look up, but he had caught a flash of color and reacted. He didn't care who or what was after him, but all he had wanted was some peace and quiet. It hadn't taken long to figure out that whoever was after him now was highly skilled and he didn't stand a chance. The only thing he could have done then was run. Look at what it had gotten him. He pulled the kunai from his calf and waited for his attacker. Spotting movement from his left, he watched the lengthening shadows as a figure came walking out. Shock seized his brain, then anger started his eye to twitching. Hell would be paid and it was coming out of one silver-haired Jounins hide!

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Kakashi?" Iruka screamed as the man got within shouting distance. "You could have killed me, you asshole!"

Kakashi stopped. Blinking his eyes, he could only stare as the Chuunin screamed at him. _Iruka_? The man was covered in bandages and he could smell the medicinal salve coating the wounds hidden under them. What had happened? Regaining his composure, he casually stalked to Iruka.

Bending down, Kakashi narrowed his eyes and glared. "And what were you thinking to throw your kunai at me? Were you wanting to be killed?"

Iruka's back stiffened and he glared right back, malice filling the brown orbs. "How was I to know who it was? I saw movement and I reacted. If you hadn't wanted to be attacked you should have announced your presence before sneaking up on me!" Iruka winced as another wave of pain swept over him. Another scar to add to the growing number he had acquired recently.

Kakashi groaned and shook his head, settling the protector over the Sharingan. "You look like hell. Let's get you back to camp and get you cleaned up. We have a lot of ground to cover before daybreak." So saying, he lifted Iruka into his arms. Ignoring the threats to his life and other bodily damage, Kakashi quickly took them back to the makeshift camp. He carefully put Iruka onto a nearby rock and stepped back.

"What do you mean by covering a lot of ground by daybreak?" Iruka asked, a frown marring his face.

Kakashi fetched water and set it to boil as he pulled more bandages and salve from his own pack. He could only wonder where Pakkun had disappeared to. Kneeling in front of Iruka, he cut his pant's leg away from his right calf. "Did you know that you are to be declared Missing in the morning?"

"Yes," Iruka answered, careful to keep his tone neutral. "I was already Missing when I left the borders of the village and hadn't left word of my whereabouts. But why tomorrow?" He hissed in pain as Kakashi cleaned the wound.

Ignoring the hisses, Kakashi explained, "You can thank Asuma for that boon. If he didn't love you, then you would have been toast by now." Kakashi smiled a litte at the man's sharp intake of breath. "We will be lucky if he did hold off the Hunters until tomorrow. I can take a lot of shit, but not from our own shinobi." He slathered the salve over the wound liberally.

Iruka gritted his teeth as the silver-haired man wrapped his calf. "Why are you out here?" He was still suspicious of Kakashi and he wasn't going to forgive him anytime soon.

Washing his hands in the now cooling water, Kakashi looked over his shoulder with a lazy look. "I didn't want to be blamed for your death."

Iruka paled. "M..my d...de...death?"

Rising, the Jounin went into the cave and pulled out everything that Iruka had brought with him. He lifted the sword, opening the sheath to test the blade. Not as sharp as he would like, but it would pass. He noticed the bloody and torn clothes in a pile next to a nearly empty salve pot. _What had happened_? He was really curious now. Snatching up the pack, a camera rattled around inside. _Leave it to Iruka to bring a camera when he runs away_, he thought.

"Asuma and the others were going to blame you dying out here on me," Kakashi stated, looking around the camp for anything else that would need to be taken back with them. "I have to work with these people and I don't want to wake up one morning and have enemies surrounding me."

"Asshole," Iruka muttered. "What are you doing?" Curous now as Kakashi gathered up what few weapons were around.

"What does it look like, stupid? Packing up camp," Kakashi shot back. "We leave in a few minutes, but in that time I want to know what happened to you."

Iruka looked down at his arms and nearly healed hands. "I was attacked last night."

"And?" Kakashi asked, throwing dirt over the fire.

Iruka became irritated again. "And what?"

Grumbling under his breath, the Jounin glared at the teacher. "Spill it or I let the Hunters come and get you."

"Alright! Geez!" Iruka told Kakashi everything that had happened to him with the Missing Wave nins. He finished by telling him that he had just come back from disposing of the bodies when he had seen the movement above him. "I thought it was more of those psychos from Wave." He shrugged.

Pakkun chose that moment to show back up. He trotted over to Iruka and sniffed at him. "We really must be going, Kakashi. It will take six hours to reach Fire and another four to reach the village. So cut the chit-chat and let's get going."

Iruka remembered why he was mad at Kakashi to begin with. "I'm not going back until we clear some things up." Pakkun sniffed, but otherwise looked to his master.

"We don't have time for this, Iruka," the Jounin snarled. He didn't want to get into this with him right now. "

"We have plenty of time for you to tell me why you left me wrapped around a tree the other night," Iruka snarled back. "Did you know that Genma had most of that planned? Did you?" An accusing look was shot from his eyes as he watched Kakashi.

Kakashi was a little surprised at the last question. "I did not know that Genma had it planned, but now that I do, I've some serious payback to deal him when I get home. As to why I left you there instead of taking you back to camp, would you believe I had a mission?" He rubbed the back of his head as he said the last with a masked smile.

"No." Iruka glared at him icily. "I want to see your face when you say that to me."

Pulling the mask down, Kakashi told him about Tsunade's summons, what he had done, and then waking to Asuma ranting at him. "I didn't know you where gone until late last night. I've spent all night tracking you down and was lucky to have found this place. If not, I would have spent the rest of the day looking and then racing the Hunters until I found you." Kakashi turned a light shade of pink. "Besides, it wouldn't look good if I came back without you."

Iruka was still pissed, but he just wanted to go home. He had been seriously thinking of going back the next day anyway. "Alright, Kakashi. Take me home. I'm tired, hurt, hungry, and I want a bath."

Kakashi smiled at Iruka. "Hai, hai!" Arranging his mask again, he called out Tomadochi and settled the his and Iruka's packs on his back as well as Iruka's sword. Moving to Iruka, he arranged him piggyback and the little group set off for Konoha.

"Don't think that I've forgiven you, Hatake. I'm going to enjoy getting payback from your silvered hide," Iruka whispered in his rescuer's ear.

(a) (a) (a)

A/N: Okay, so A/K will have to wait. But it will eventually make it's way into here. I might just incorporate it into the next chapter. As it is, I have some lovely Kakashi torture in store and then there is the Spring Festival to look forward to. Fun!

So, until next chapter...Ja!


	15. Punishment

Part Two: 

Illusion's Folly

Chapter 15

Punishment

(a) (a) (a)

"Unless you want to be covered in piss, I suggest you stop," Iruka spat out.

He was tired, bleeding, hungry, and most of all irritated. They had been on the move for well over six hours without a stop. Iruka figured they were near the village, but he had to pee. While he had been carried, he had drained his canteen. The wounds he had sustained were draining his body of fluids to replace the blood he had lost. His arms itched and his calf was on fire. He glared at silver hair.

"Kakashi!" Iruka screamed in the man's ear. "Put me down! I swear I'll piss all over your back!" Iruka hit his tormentor on the side of the head to emphasize his order. "NOW!"

Kakashi stumbled as the fist collided with his head. He was trying his best to get back into the gates before dawn and this pit stop wasn't going to help them get any closer. But it was either this or smelling of urine and itching for the next two or so hours. He hadn't talked much with Iruka since he had packed him onto his back. All he would get out of him were grunts. It sounded surprisingly like him when he refused to answer a question.

Coming to an unsteady halt, Kakashi set Iruka down. "Just hurry up," Kakashi muttered, rubbing the side of his head. Iruka shot him a glare and hobbled off a short distance. Kakashi felt a wave of guilt wash over him at the bleeding wound he had inflicted. He should change the bandage while they were stopped.

By his calculations, they were less than two hours from the village. He had used a huge amount of his chakra to keep them moving fast and keep himself awake. A soldier pill had helped replenish his strength when it had flagged a few hours before. Kakashi was running on no sleep, no food, and he had carried a full grown man for longer than he ever had. On top of it all, Iruka was not talking to him and had hit him._ What had he done to deserve that_?

**_Only ran off without telling him where you were going_**.

Kakashi blushed slightly at his runaway thoughts. _True_, _but it was no fault of mine that no one had told Iruka_.

**_That's because you left at three in the morning and no one was awake to tell him_**. **_You could have sent Cat back to him with a note_**.

_Shut up_! He screamed at the voice.

Iruka came back and spotted the dark scowl shadowing Kakashi's visible eye. He hoped it wasn't at him, but if it was he was more than willing to get rid of it. And not gently either. The man was a pain in the ass and didn't care if he was invading your private time. He could think of several occasions when the man would appear in the mission office on his days and torment him with his silence and that ever present hentai book. He wouldn't say anything, just lounge around the office and read. It had annoyed him to no end!

"What now?" Iruka snapped out, still irritated, though feeling better.

Kakashi snapped out of his foul mood and looked at Iruka. He was a mess. His hair was hanging in a limp ponytail, his face was pale, his clothing hung on him, and he was covered in bandages. His limp wasn't as bad, but he really should change the wrapping while they were stationary.

"Sit down and let me check that wound," he muttered. He took out a new wrap and waited as Iruka sat down. Discarding the old bandage into a side pocket in his hip pouch, he slowly bandaged the wound again. "Iruka?" he asked softly.

Iruka stopped glaring at the rock beside him. "What, Kakashi?"

Kakashi inwardly winced at the sting in the teacher's voice. "Why did you run off?"

Iruka scowled as his eyes came into contact with Kakashi's visible one. "I felt like it."

Kakashi narrowed his eye. "You felt like it? No one runs away without a reason."

"Does this include you, O Wise One?" Iruka snapped.

"I have my reasons, but they aren't for you to know," Kakashi spat back with equal venom.

"Oh!" Iruka stood, making Kakashi fall back or be run over. "I'm supposed to tell you, but you won't tell me anything, is that it?" He stalked over to Tomodachi and grabbed a spare canteen. "The great Copy Nin isn't afraid of anything or anyone. Big surprise that you have emotions to begin with." Iruka muttered before swallowing a mouthfull of warm water. He grimaced at the metallic taste.

Kakashi sighed tiredly. "Iruka, I don't need this or have time for it. We have to get back to the village. Now."

Iruka shot him another glare, took another drink from his canteen and placed it back into the pack. He petted Tomodachi's head and hobbled back to Kakashi. "We can finish this later. I still have some things to say to you." Iruka waited as Kakashi drank from his canteen and put it back in his pouch, before mounting his back again. _Oh_, _yes_. _They would continue this when they got back_.

(a) (a) (a)

Tsuande yawned. _It was to damn early in the morning for this shit_. Scrolls were piled onto her desk, ones that hadn't been taken care of the day before. She had spent most of the day and all night worrying over Iruka's disappearence. She hadn't counted on him running away when his anger took him over. She yawned again. She could only hope that Kakashi had found him and was bringing him back. If he didn't show his masked face before the sun touched the horizon then she would have no choice but to send her Hunters out. She would regret it for the rest of her life to lose the Chuunin, but to protect her village, she would. She glanced over her shoulder at a rather dusty scroll spread open on her desk. She closed her eyes as she looked back to the main gates.

"Please, Kakashi, bring him back," she whispered.

(a) (a) (a)

Asuma stretched the cramps from his shoulders. He shouldn't have fallen asleep in the trees, but it had been a long, boring night. He was still wondering why he had woken up when he felt a Chakra flare ahead. Whoever it was was moving fast and weakening. Kakashi! Gathering his Chakra, Asuma leapt away.

He found him a few minutes later with a sleeping Iruka on his back and Tomodachi trailing behind. The nin dog was carrying packs and a sword. He looked over the huffing Jounin and then over the bandages covering the Chuunin's arms and right leg. He glared at his friend.

"What did you do to him?" Asuma asked, taking Iruka into his arms. The smaller man didn't even bat an eyelash. _What was wrong with him_?

Kakashi slumped over, coughing. Tomadochi whined at him, but he waved the dog off. "He's lost a lot of blood. Unconcious. Fought off four Missing Wave nins and was injured."

Asuma sucked in his breath and hugged his other friend close. Iruka killed four Missing nins and Wave at that? _**How**_? "The calf?" he asked.

Kakashi drained his canteen before answering. Leveling a dead eye on Asuma, he stated, "Mine."

"What?" Asuma yelled, taking a step back and pulling Iruka closer. _As if that would protect him_, he sneered to himself.

The silver haired Jounin lay his head back on a tree limb. "He thought I was another Wave and I thought it was some rogue ninja. I couldn't see him very well in the shadows and I threw a kunai. His calf is the result of that. It's not my fault he didn't identify himself!" Kakashi said bitterly. "I've been carrying him this entire time and I'm near my limits. I've not had sleep and my stomach hurts. Take him to the Hokage, she needs to treat him." With the last said, Kakashi used what was left of his Chakra and transported himself home.

Asuma shook his head as the smoke cleared. He need a cigarette, but he would have to get Iruka to Tsunade quickly. Tomodachi looked at him and waited.

"Come on, 'Dachi. Let's get our little teacher to the doc," he muttered, looking down into Iruka's pale face. Tomodachi whuffed and followed the large Jounin to the Hokage's Tower.

When he came to a stop outside the tower, Tsunade was waiting on him. She quickly looked into Iruka's eyes and snorted. "Take him up to my apartment, Asuma. No one must know that he's been brought back unconcious."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," he replied, following her up the stairs. Placing Iruka on a pallet beside her futon, he stood back. "Do you need anything else, Hokage-sama?"

Fussing with the badanges covering Iruka's arms, she said over her shoulder, "Nothing, Asuma. Thank you."

Asuma could hear something in that thank you that confused him. Relief. _What was that about_? "Not a problem, Hokage-sama." he hesitated before he asked, "Will he be alright?"

Tsunade looked over her shoulder and grinned. "He'll be fine. Just a little blood loss and hunger. Nothing more than that."

Asuma made his goodbyes and left feeling better than he had in three days. He had to tell the others that Iruka was back and safe. Kakashi was another matter entirely. He had some more choice words for the emotionless shinobi, but they could wait until Iruka was awake and listening. He liked Kakashi but his emotionless reply to hurting Iruka bothered him. Something wasn't right and he intended to find out, but first he wanted a cigarette and a bath.

(a) (a) (a)

Shadows. A blank white face. Flashes of silvered blade. Bright splashes of red, red blood. Screams filled the air. Rage poured over his soul and he hacked again. To feel the blade sinking into flesh and see the bright blood spurt out. He smiled behind the mask. It felt good. He barely registered the Stone hitai-ate as it fell away from the stilling features of the man he was kneeling on. His job was done. Time to go home. Time to be alone and act normal. Time to feel the pain left behind. Time for his heart to die again.

Iruka sat up with a strangled scream, the dream fading away into nothing. He was in the Hokage's apartment, next to her futon. He glanced under the covers and sighed in relief. She had at least left him his boxers. The cuts on his arms were healed, but had left scars. His leg ached, but was nearly healed, a small gauze patch over the wound to stop any blood from oozing onto the mat beneath him. Spotting a glass of water next to him, he drained it. Finished, he put it down, wondering where Tsunade had run off to. Hearing someone approaching, he pulled the covers up to his waist.

Shizune stepped in and smiled. "Feeling better, Iruka-san?" She hurried over to him and felt his forehead with her own. She pulled back and knelt down beside him. "No fever. Any aches or pains?"

Iruka blushed a litte, but replied, "None. Just thirsty."

Shizune smiled and poured him another glass of water. "Not surprising. You were dehydrated. Your body used all the fluids left to make more blood." She glanced behind her and stood.

Iruka wondered, but started when the Hokage breezed in. "Ho..hokage-sama!" He tried to stand, but she waved him back down.

"Good, you're awake, Iruka-kun," she smiled toothily at him. "I want to know why you came back to me broken, bloody, and unconcious."

Iruka blinked. "Excuse me?" He was a little confused. _Broken_?

Tsunade sat down on her futon and pulled a sake bottle from her pocket. She nodded to Shizune and waited as the dark-haired kuniochi left before turning back to Iruka. She looked at him and waited. When he still gave her a confused look, she sighed.

"I want to know why I have kill shots on my desk. I want to know why you came back unconcious. But most of all, I want to know why I nearly had to declare my best teacher Missing!" She nearly screamed the last. She wanted to get to the bottom of this before it became a problem.

Iruka blinked again and looked at his hands. "I ran away because I needed to."

"Not good enough, Iruka," she said without looking away.

"I can't, Tsuande-sama," he whispered. He blushed brightly.

Tsunade smiled gently at Iruka. Scooting closer she placed a hand on his. "I can guess why, but you still have to tell me. It doen't go past me, Iruka."

Iruka looked up at her from behind his limp hair. She was smiling at him like his mother used to, as if she could fix anything that was hurting or troubling him. Tears suddenly sprang to his eyes as he looked into her gently smiling, amber eyes. A tear slid down his cheek as he explained his and Kakashi's turbulent fights, the camping trip, Genma's words, and his adventures, outside the village. He sniffed as he came to the end. He was a little surprised at the handkerchief Tsunade used to wipe away his tears.

"Don't look so surprised, Iruka-kun. You are like my child. Just don't get used to it," Tsunade grumped, looking over her shoulder. "Shizune, stop hiding and bring that sake!"

Iruka turned bright red, but laughed as he heard a squeak, something break, and a red faced Shizune shuffle into the room. She had a rather large bottle of sake and two sake bowls. He raised his eye at Tsunade.

"You need it. Doctor's orders!" she snapped, steel behind her silky voice. She smiled and poured them a shot. Still smiling after their drinks, she poured another. "As for our resident dipshit..." Iruka snorted and spewed his sake over his bed clothes. He laughed as he poured another shot and apologized for the mess. "As I was saying, as for our resident dipshit, I think I can find something as a suitable punishment."

Both she and Iruka shared a fox smile. Shizune smiled hesitantly and wished she hadn't seen it. It reminded her too much of Naruto and the messes he ended up in. She groaned when they turned thier smile on her.

(a) (a) (a)

A/N: Life keeps interrupting my writing. Bah! Anyway, a little anger, a little deviltry. I promise the next chapter will be funny. Enjoy this new installment.

As for Anko and Genma's little investigation...I ain't tellin'. Yet.

Ja!


	16. Messes

Part Two: 

Illusion's Folly

Chapter 16

Messes

(a) (a) (a)

Genma waited as the last of his peers entered the mission office. He had just heard that Iruka was back and the Hunters had been called off. He was happy, but he still wanted to talk to Anko about what he had uncovered earlier. She hadn't come in for her mission, so he figured she had slept off her hangover. There was no way she would miss the near ritual meeting of the Vine. Asuma and the others were only waiting for her to show and they could get down to business. It wasn't long before she stomped into the office, a dango stick hanging from her fingers, another wiggling around her mouth.

"What?" she asked around the sticky sweet.

"Nothing, Ko-ko," Genma answered waving a hand through the air. Turning away from her, he smiled at the group. "I have some good news. Iruka came back!" He laughed with the others as they whooped and hollered. After they stopped, he continued. "He came in a little before sunrise, so he's safe."

Asuma grunted and stubbed out his cigarette. Kurenai cuddled close to his side, smiling up at him. He wrapped an arm around her thin but strong shoulders and hugged her close. He had told her about his run in with Kakashi and Iruka, but not about his injuries. It wouldn't do to have her upset. He didn't think Kakashi would stand a chance against her anger. It would be interesting to say the least, but he didn't think it would be prudent to have the man dead. An angry Kurenai was not something to play with.

Anko spit out her first stick and ripped one of the sweet dumplings off the other. "So, Iruka came back just in time. Good. Now I can ask him some questions."

Genma glanced at her, lowering an eyebrow. "Not yet. He's been with the Hokage all day and he's not going to be at his apartment for the next few days." Before Anko or the others could say anything, he finished. "He's just getting some advice from her, so there's nothing to worry about. She felt that he needed some counseling and she also wanted to check up on his health. It's been a couple of months since he was taken from the Academy."

Since that was the meat of the meeting, he related other little bits of gossip that had floated into the office all day. Calling an end to the meeting a hour later, Genma motioned to Anko as she started for the door. Raidou said he was going to the apartment to make dinner and would see his partner later. The others filed out with good-natured goodbyes and promises to meet the next night at the local bar. Genma agreed and waved them out. Anko stood chewing on the end of her dango stick and raised a brow as he called her over to his desk.

"You'll never believe what I found in those old files," he said, handing her the translated notes. "It seems that the Sandaime was forced to erase Kinkou from the scrolls and retire him due to his psychotic behaviour."

Anko nodded, reading the papers. "But what is this about him creating a new identity for him?" She glanced over to Genma.

Shrugging, he answered, "No clue. Though the wording could be a clue as to what happened to our mysterious Kinkou." Anko gave him a puzzled look. Sighing, he explained his comment. "See where it says that Kinkou would guide the souls of the villagers to glory. I think he gave Kinkou a position of authority in the village."

Anko snorted. "Yeah, but who would give a psychotic nin a position like that?" Hearing a muffled laugh from Genma, she blinked. "Oh, right, well..." She blushed over her sudden lapse of intelligence. "So who does that give us as the main suspects?"

Genma sprawled into his chair, leaning it back. "Not sure." Twirling his senbon around, he plucked it from his mouth and sat up. "I can have a roster of nins that were given positions like that starting six years ago. Though I'll have to be sneaky about it. Ibiki watches those filing cabinets like a hawk." He grimaced at the thought.

"You're a ninja, figure it out.," Anko said, no sympathy edging her words. She wouldn't want to be caught by Ibiki either, though it could have possibilites. A secret smile played around her lips as scenarios flashed through her brain. "If that's all, I've got some things to do."

Genma walked her out and headed for home after promising to give her a partial list the next day.

(a) (a) (a)

Iruka burped lightly, setting his fifth bottle of sake down carefully. The table was wobbling and it was hard to set it down without breaking it. Tsunade grinned foolishly and poured them another round. After Shizune had badgered the Hokage about her paperwork, Iruka had felt bad and helped her with the easier scrolls. After a few hours, Tsunade announced that she was done for the day and that they could relax in her apartments. Five bottles of sake, a sixth nearly empty, they had started to discuss ways to pay Kakashi back for his irresponsible behaviour toward the Chuunin.

"I still say you should stay away from him for a couple of weeks," the blonde woman rapped out, throwing the sake down her throat. "He deserves it."

Iruka frowned, but nodded his head. "I need to train some more anyway. I was to slow and shouldn't have been hit with that rookie throw of his."

She looked over at him from her nest of pillows. She had changed from her normal attire into a short robe and light cotton shirt for modesty. "Don't beat yourself up over it, Iruka-kun. It can happen to anyone. Besides, you are the only one that I've ever known to blow that bastard out a window with a hairdryer!" She threw her head back and laughed till tears rolled from her eyes. Iruka colored, but laughed along with her. "What's the score, by the way?" she asked, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Two to two," Iruka grumbled. "It wouldn't have been that, if he hadn't of gotten me with that kunai." He absently rubbed the nearly healed calf. "I need to find something to surprise him again and to pay him back for this new scar." He snorted. "Haven't been out of the Academy for two months and I've gotten twenty new scars to add to the one across my face."

Tsuande sobered and sat up, looking at him with a serious expression. "Yes, but you took out four Missing nin from Wave. By yourself, no less." She reached over and pushed a scroll toward him. "Read it."

Iruka picked the scroll up, opened it and read teh contents. His looked panicked at he shot his gaze to the leader of his village. "What is this?"

Tsunade chuckled, reaching for the sake bottle again. "That is your pay for taking out those nins."

He read the page again. "But ten thousand is too much, Tsunade-sama!"

The bottle cracked on the table as she set it down. Narrowing her eyes, she ground out, "Why can't you just take the damn money and not argue about it? I swear, you kids will the death of my nerves!" Sipping the sake, Tsunade watched the teacher as she explained. "The leader of the group was wanted in the four main countries for various crimes and had a huge warrant for his capture. Wave was forced to up the ante on his head when they did that. As a bonus, the three with him carried a total of four thousand on thier heads." She smiled at his dumbfounded expression. "Don't look so stunned, son. Kakashi is three times that amount in the Rock Bingo book."

Iruka blinked, re-rolled the scroll, and downed his drink. Kakashi was an amazing ninja and had destroyed Rock's chances of a surprise attack way back when he was with his old team. It was no wonder the Rock village wanted the man so badly. A flash of the weird dream floated into his mind.

"Tsunade-sama?" he queried in the silence.

"What is it, Iruka-kun?" she answered.

He tried to hold the image in his head as he asked, "Have you ever heard of a Hunter or ANBU shinobi with the symbol for balance written on the mask? He had a sword like my father's, but I couldn't really tell what it looked like."

Tsunade sat up, trying not to show her alarm at his sudden words. How had he known that? He couldn't possibly know about _that_ person. There was no way in hell that anyone would know about him, with one exception. She doubted that even Morino knew the details.

"Where did you see this person?" she asked lightly, so as not to raise his suspicions.

Iruka wrinkled his brow as he thought. "I'm not sure. I think I was dreaming or it may be an old memory. But the man I saw wasn't very old, maybe in his mid to late teens, brown hair." He glanced over. "Do you know anyone like that?"

She waited a second or two before answering. "No. I haven't heard of anyone like that. Though I'm sure someone must have. I'll check into it though." She wondered how much he was really telling her or if he only knew that much. Another problem to deal with on top of the other problems lining up on her desk everyday. _When would they end_? She closed her eyes for a moment, the smiled as she opened the amber orbs. "Now, on to what we should be working on!"

Iruka laughed and poured another saucer of sake. It was going to be a long night and an even longer few weeks.

(a) (a) (a)

Kakashi rolled over and encountered a mouthful of fur. Spitting it out, he glared at the huge bulldog next to him. Pakkun and Tomadachi were nowhere to be seen. With a put upon whuff, the bulldog licked his face and disappeared. Grumbling about nin dogs and thier habits, he sat up on his futon. The apartment was a mess. His weapon pouch, his and Iruka's bags, and Iruka's sword were thrown on the table, the bathroom had some towels laying in the floor, and the kitchen had some cups and two plates waiting to be washed.

He didn't feel like doing any of it. He just wanted to know if Iruka was alright, though he doubted the smaller man would want to see him anytime in the near future. He should really just get dressed and take Iruka's things to his apartment and leave them there. As it was, he didn't want to see Iruka just yet either. He needed to sort throught the myriad of emotions that were swirling around inside him. He didn't like the feeling of not knowing anything.

Groaning, he pulled himself out of bed and quickly donned a shirt and pants. He was dead tired with only a few hours sleep, but he wouldn't be satisfied until he had taken the teacher's things back to him. Besides, he felt slightly uneasy with them littering his apartment.

(a) (a) (a)

A/N: Just a quick chapter to tide you over until I can find the pages I've written for the next two chapters. I think my cat hid them from me. XD

Anko and Genma will continue to unravel the mystery surrounding Kinkou, but they may not like what they find. Kakashi is in for a huge surprise, but one he won't like, or would he? Iruka is in full revenge mode and no one is safe.

Until the next chapter, which will hopefully be found hidden behind and under the fridge...

Ja!


	17. Curses

Part Two: 

Illusion's Folly

Chapter 17

Of Curses and Kisses

(a) (a) (a)

Phase One of the Kakashi Revenge Scheme was in effect. Iruka had spent three days with the Hokage working out the plan. It had involved lots of scrolls, paperwork, and sake. He didn't think he would drink again for quite some time after that. They had devised a plan that would keep Kakashi away from Iruka. It wasn't very hard. All Tsunade had to do was keep the Copy Nin busy with various little missions and Iruka could do his training in peace. But he doubted that Kakashi would be fooled for very long. He gave it a week before the man figured it out. It had been four days since he left the Hokage's apartments and had come home to find his things laying on the couch. _Bastard_.

Two days into to his new training routine with Gai and Asuma, Iruka was treated to the cigarette smoking Jounin's Chakra blades. Not wanting the two to hold back on him as he sped through the training field, he had missed the brief flare and was nearly decapitated as Asuma chucked the blades at his neck. He hadn't thought the blades were close, but after a second of pained surprise he had felt blood trickle down his shoulder. Not letting the cut paralyze him, he had used a simple medical jitsu to staunch the flow of blood and kept running. Three more times Asuma threw his blades and three more mysterious cuts appeared.

After the three men sat panting under a huge oak, Iruka was told about the Chakra infused weapon. Taking the critisism with good grace, Iruka let Gai heal the wounds, as Asuma lit up and took a drink from his canteen.

"You're getting better at dodging, Iruka," Asuma said after exhaling. "Pretty soon, I won't be able to knick you." He smiled at the faint blush staining the smaller man's cheeks.

"If I hadn't ducked that last time, I would be in the hospital. Or dead," Iruka laughed, rubbing his shoulder. "I need to work on my tracking. I barely registered the flares." He frowned. "But that bothers me. I've normally been able to sense the flares and where they originate."

Gai, finished with his treatment, sat back on his knees. "It's from the stress you've been under, Iruka. No one can blame you for losing your focus."

Asuma agreed. "You've only just come back. Give your nerves time to adjust to your situation and then you won't have a problem tracking the flares or the person."

Iruka thought about it for a moment then smiled at the two men. "I guess you are right. I haven't had a chance to really relax." Standing, he grabbed his shirt and canteen. "I'm going to take a day from the training and laze about. I need to check on my yukata and do some shopping."

"Yukata?" Asuma asked, blinking his eyes.

"Yeah. The Spring Festival?" Iruka prompted. "Don't tell me you've forgotten, Asuma? Kurenai will have your balls if you have."

The large man paled and laughed nervously. "Actually, I did." Gai sighed, as did Iruka. "What? I haven't had time to think about it!" he flared, tossing the burned out cigarette away.

"Well, you better be finding a yukata for it. It's in a few days, you know," Iruka teased. He danced away from a swinging fist. "See you guys in a couple of days!" He ran back to his apartment, leaving the two Jounins to smile after his retreating back.

"Do you think Kakashi will meet him at the festival?" Asuma asked the silent Gai.

"Probably," Gai answered simply. "What gets me is why that crazy man hasn't tracked Iruka down yet."

Asuma raised a brow at the simple language. Maito Gai hardly _ever_ talked simply. This must be serious. "From what I hear, Kakashi's been working his ass off. The Hokage has been sending him left and right of the village and hardly has any time to eat or sleep." He lit a cigarette and watched the blue smoke rise for a few seconds. "I wonder why she's been riding his ass like that."

Gai shrugged. "Who knows what our esteemed leader thinks. She's female. She's kuniochi. She's the strongest shinobi that I never want to cross." He turned to Asuma and grinned, his white teeth glinting in the afternoon light. "Besides, Kakashi's always being disrespectful of Hokage-sama, calling her obaa-chan."

Asuma choked on the smoke leaving his lungs and spent the next few minutes fighting Gai's minstrations to regain his breath.

(a) (a) (a)

Iruka sped through the village to his apartment. He felt a lot better, but he smelled. He doubted the shop owner would like to have a smelly man trying on the yukata. He quickly showered and used his lemon-basil shampoo to wash away the grime and sweat. Now he needed to eat and relax. He would go to the shop early and while he was out, take his laundry. After wolfing down his re-heated ramen and a pot of sweet orange tea, he toppled into bed.

Waking to a bright sun, Iruka shook out his hair. Brushing the shoulder length mass, he pushed it back on his head and wrapped his headband around his head, foregoing his usual ponytail. Spotting a clean pair of jeans and a brown t-shirt with an orange whale on it, a gift from Naruto, he quickly dressed and gathered his laundry together. He looked around his apartment and grimaced. Another job to do when he got back in. Hefting the large sack of laundry over his shoulders, he closed his door and headed off for the laundry and his yukata.

He entered the little shop a few minutes later, calling out to the little man. A muted shuffle answered him as the little man hurried from the back of the shop. Smiling at the little man, he let himself be taken into the changing room.

"I hope you like your gift, Iruka-sensei. I've been working on it for the past two weeks," the owner chirped, shoving Iruka into the fitting stall. "You strip on down and I'll bring the yukata out for you." He disappeared around the curtain. Iruka chuckled to himself and stripped to his skivvies. The old man came back in with an armful of beige silk. He set it on a small table, taking a silvery blue silk belt and looping it over his arm. Smilng he shook out the dolphin embroidered yukata and helped Iruka settle it over his shoulders. Taking the belt he tied it around Iruka's waist and stepped back. "Perfect!"

Iruka smiled back and turned to the mirror. The beige fabric glowed against his dark skin, the dolphins patterned across the whole seemed to move in front of his eyes. The belt caught the light and seemed to be made of dolphin skin. It was perfect indeed. He could feel the crest riding in between his shoulders. Turning, he caught sight of the crest and blinked. Done entirely in the same silvery blue as the belt, a dancing dolphin spun around a field of ivory silk, with turquoise waves lapping at it's fluke. He turned to the old man and smiled hugely.

"You've outdone yourself, oji-san!" he exclaimed, stepping over and giving the man a hug. "I love it!"

The old man laughed. "I'm glad you like it too." Stepping back, he motioned to the white pile of cloth on the table. "There is the under robe and Chisa at the shoe shop has your sandals and tabi waiting." He waited as Iruka disrobed and handed him the yukata carefully. "I'll go and wrap these while you dress."

After thanking the old man profusely, Iruak stopped by Chisa's and picked up his footwear. He almost laughed when he spotted the geta and the white tabi waiting on him. There would be no way that he would wear the tabi with the raised sandals. He would just run around without the tabi. If they became a problem, he could always wear his old sisal sandals. Thanking Chisa, he backed out of the shop and made his way home. He wanted to get the yukata up on the hangar and set out the small trinkets he would wear with his new aquisition. He would have to find the small turquoise fan his mother used to use during the festivals and his father's silver hair tie. He would wear his hair in a traditional que with the silver tie holding it in place. A simple leaf charm would hang from his sword hilt. It may be a simple festival but the Konoha ninja never attended without thier weapons. It was an honored tradition among them.

Grimacing as he came into his messy apartment, he set about his business. A few minutes later, he started on the kitchen. Washing and drying the dishes didn't take as long as he feared, but the floors were another matter. They would have to be scrubbed from his hands and knees. Not a chore he enjoyed, but it would have to be done. He had a few hours before his laundry would have to be picked up and he still had to air out the bed, dust the furniture, and scrub his bathroom. Really, how had he let it get this bad?

**You threw a bitch fit**.

_I'm not talking to you_.

**To late**.

_Shut up_!

Iruka ignored that inner voice of his as he powered through the scrubbing of the floors and his bathroom. He continued to ignore it as he removed his futon from the raised platform in his room. He should have taken the bedclothes to the laundry too, but he hadn't thought that far ahead. He could wash them himself and hang them out with the futon. With the last of the chores only dusting, he set about washing his bedclothes in his once clean bathroom. After pinning the last of the sheets to the drying poles, he went back in to mop the soaking floor of his bathroom. He inhaled the lemon scent still lingering in the air and smiled to himself. He was still smiling as he dusted the last of the speakers in the wall unit.

Checking the time, he hurried from the apartment to the laundress, paid, and strolled back home. He detoured to Ichiraku's for lunch, the smell of their famous pork miso floating around the little ramen shop. Taking a stool, he placed his laundry on the stool next to him and chatted with the man himself as he prepared his meal. They discussed the kids from this year's academy screw-ups, the courses that Iruka's class were taking, and even the dreaded break down that had taken place a couple of months back. Paying for his lunch, Iruka left Ichiraku's happy and satisfied. All he needed to do now was sit back and enjoy the rest of the day. He would worry about his supper when he got hungry again.

(a) (a) (a)

Panting, Iruka dropped to his knees in the dirt. Gai fell down beside him and groped around the base of the tree for his canteen. They had been chasing each other around, trying to get a hit on one another, but so far neither one had been able to accomplish that feat. Iruka gladly took the canteen from Gai and guzzled a mouthful of the tepid liquid. He made a face and handed it back.

"I don't think I could do that again if I tried," Iruka breathed, his pulse starting to slow.

Gai laughed and slapped the teacher on the back. "You are getting faster. Even I am having trouble keeping up with you!"

Iruka laughed and rubbed his back. "Thank you, Gai."

"Think nothing of it. We have to have you in top form when it comes to those little imps," he winked and grinned, his white teeth flashing in the waning afternoon light.

Iruka smiled back weakly, muttering under his breath, "If I ever do go back."

"Don't say that, Iruka-kun," Gai boomed. "You'll go back. Never doubt that!"

"Al..alright, Gai," Iruka stammered, shuffling back from the man's uplifted arm. "I have to get back home. I'm meeting the Hokage for dinner."

They said thier goodbyes and made plans for a training session in two days. Iruka made his way home slowly. His muscles were screaming, but not as loudly as they had when he first started to train under Gai. For the past two and a half months, Gai had been chasing him around the training fields, the forest, and half the village. Every once in a while, Asuma or Genma would drop by to train with them. Iruka had become a little bit more limber, faster, and had learned that it wasn't wise to trust the visible blade of your opponent. With those sessions, he had walked away with no fewer than five new scars. His leg barely pained him anymore, but it twinged when he put to much stress on it. Hopefully, that would go away as time went by.

An hour later, Iruka made his way to the Hokage's apartment. He could already see the night devolving into a drunken mess, but he guessed that was the price one paid for scaring the living daylights out of your students. He was smiling as he came into Tsunade's office, but was nearly run down as Shizune blew past him with a harried expression on her face.

"Close the door, Iruka-kun," Tsunade rapped out, her platinum head propped on her hand. She swirled her brush a few more times, the lay it down. She turned her amber eyes on him and raised one finely arched brow. "Well?"

"Well, what, Tsunade-sama?" Iruka asked, puzzled.

"How did you like your yukata?" Her eyes were bright with mischief.

Iruka smiled, knowing where the material had come from now. "I love it, Tsunade-sama! It's the most perfect thing I own!"

"I'm glad you like it, Iruka-kun. Now, how has our plan worked so far?" She leaned forward and nearly fell out of her robe.

"Spledid. I haven't seen him all week." He stepped close to the desk and leaned a hip against it. "The only indication he was near me was the return of my gear."

Tsunade steepled her fingers. "Well, I can tell you he's been to busy this last week to even think about coming near you. The poor kid's been run ragged and I think the Festival will be a good break for him." She stood and motioned for Iruka to follow her deeper into her apartments. "I'm giving your little group a couple of days off for the Festival. Do what you will with them."

Iruka grinned at her. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama! I'm sure the others would love to have the time off."

She threw herself down into her pillow-nest and wiggled until she was comfortable. "Now, the only problem will be on how to keep that brat in line and to suffer at the same time."

Iruka chuckled nervously and replied, "But what if he catches on? I don't want to have him chasing me through town again." He rubbed his jaw in memory. "I'll be wearing geta and I'm not to balanced on them."

Tsunade laughed and patted a pillow beside her. "You'll get the hang of them. Jiji doesn't have a problem with them."

"Jiji?" Iruka asked, blinking confusedly.

"Jiraiya, you dolt," she barked, smiling to take the sting away. "So tell me what you'll be wearing with that handsome yukata."

(a) (a) (a)

Kakashi fell face first into his futon and groaned. He was so tired. Fifteen missions in one day, all of them B and C ranked. He was bushed. He needed a drink, food, a shower, and sleep. Not all in that order either. He felt a dip in the futon and a wet nose pressed against his exposed face.

"Kakashi, you need to eat and then sleep," Tomodachi whined, concern lacing his words. "You should really have a word with the Hokage about these missions."

Kakashi rolled onto his back and sighed tiredly. "She's just mad at me about something again. She'll get over it sooner or later."

Tomodachi snorted. "It's been like this since you came back, Kakashi. I don't think she's going to 'get over it', as you said."

Kakashi flapped a white hand at his nin dog and closed his eyes. "I'll have a talk with her when the Festival is over. It's in another two days and I've been given two days off to enjoy it."

"You wearing that yukata again?" Pakkun's gravelly voice rang out.

Kakashi groaned and sat up, his back twinging in protest. "As a matter of fact, no. I'm not going to wear it."

Pakkun huffed and padded over. Sticking his nose into Kakashi's face, he narrowed his eyes. "You will wear that yukata and the Fang. It's tradition and you have no excuse for not wearing them. You have the time off."

"Not going to do it, Pakkun," he grumbled, pouting.

"Don't you want to see what Iruka-kun will be wearing?" the small pug cajoled. "I bet he'll be wearing full regalia."

Kakashi got a vision of the teacher in a yukata with a sword swinging by his lithe frame and his soft brown hair pulled back in a que low on his head. He was drooling before he was half finished with the image. Wiping the drool from his chin, Kakashi shot a glare at the two lauging dogs and headed for his wardrobe. There in the bottom was the old yukata. He would have to let it hang for a few hours to get the wrinkles out, but it would pass. He really needed to have a new one made.

As he was hanging the yukata up, a knock came at his door. Sighing, he went to open the door and blinked his eyes at the small man standing there.

"Yes?" Kakashi asked.

"Hatake Kakashi, I have a package here for you," the small man said, smiling up at him. "It's from the village." He handed the large box to Kakashi and went on his way.

Kakashi stared after him for a moment, shook his head, and closed the door. Why would the village give him anything? He hadn't done anything important for the last few weeks. Shrugging, he took the package into his apartment and set it on the futon, the table being to small for it. What could be inside? Carefully, for he wasn't sure if this was some elaborate joke that Genma was playing on him, he opened the box. Inside, atop a black expanse of tissue paper, a simple message card glared at him from it's seat.

_Have a great time_, _brat_.

_T_

He grinned as he recognized the brush strokes. He wondered what she had sent him. He peeled the tissue paper back and breathed in a quiet gasp. There on the black background was a beautiful silver and white yukata, golden koi swimming across the panels. A simple black belt of silk lay to the side as well as the white under-robe. It was an exact copy of his old one, but it was made to fit his frame. He lifted it from the box and turned it around. There centered between the shoulders was his family crest. The old one hadn't had it, but he could kiss the old hag for adding it to his new one.

He felt something warm sliding down his left cheek. _Obito_, _you crybaby_.

(a) (a) (a)

A/N: Gah! It took me long enough. Well, during this entire time, I've been raising a foundling kitten. He was only 2 weeks old when I found him in a parking lot. How mean! Now he's doing fine and sleeping at my feet.

I'll have two chapters for you next week. They should be quite an interesting read...and maybe a hot one, too. But more mystery and mayhem will be joining our two favorite idiots.

For all my Reviewers:  
Icy Sapphire - You might get your wish.  
lo - Arigato guzaimasu!  
Kanemoshi - Close, but no cigar.  
Ritsu Yameyake - Spazztasitic and you get your wish...later.  
Anime Siren - Glad ya do! I like it too.  
BlackMystic - Me too.  
snow887 - You have no idea.  
Lotus Aia - For the life of me I can't remember either, and no you can't have Kakashi to hide. I need him.

And to all the others that have reviewed...

Arigato!


	18. Midnight Dawning

Part Two: 

Illusion's Folly

Chapter 18

Midnight Dawning

(a) (a) (a)

The day of the Spring Festival shone bright and warm. It promised to warm to an even hotter afternoon with a cool evening to enjoy the fireworks that were planned for midnight. Booths had been going up since late yesterday, most just simple carts with detachable wood fronts. Students from Iruka's old class were put to work setting up the paper lanterns and paper art. They had been lucky to finish the hanging before the sun had set the day before. A whole section of the merchant area was cordoned off for the festival, the residential areas hosting thier own little parties before the night time festivities started.

Children screamed in delight at the many games that had been set up. There were tons of masks, tantos, and beautiful silk kites up as top prizes in the harder children's games. The older children were given a scroll and instructions not to open them until the sun started to wester past the noon hour. A large scale scavenger hunt had been planned to last for several hours with newly smithed katanas for the winning team. To limit the size of the groups, most were put into four man teams. There were as many as five in some teams, but the sword smith had been working for the last six months to create the katanas just for the festival.

As the morning progressed into the noon hour, more and more people started to wander in from the residential areas. Delicious scents wafted through the air as food vendors hawked thier wares to the passing throng. Many laughs and screams of childish delight colored the air, people enjoying the warming afternoon air. Adults escorted thier broods through the area, stopping every now and then to play a game or grab some takoyaki. The adults were waiting for the Chuunin and Jounins to stroll into the festival area. The women were primping in quiet corners, wondering and plotting. The ninja of Konaha always showed up right after the sun entered into hour of the monkey.

A hush fell over the crowd as the first of the mixed groups of Chuunin and Jounin flowed into the festival area. Married couples with thier children, dating pairs, friends, and family strolled arm in arm, laughing and fanning themselves in the heat. The villagers greeted them, marveling over the pastels and bold colors of the year's Spring Yukata Walk. Swords, chains, fans, and other accroutrements flashed in the sunlight. Women traded styling tricks, men congratulated each other on previous missions, and the children ran about the adults in glee, all in remembrance of older times and traditions. After the main throng thinned out, the other ninja that didn't participate in the Walk made thier way into the festival.

Asuma tried not to blush as a clearly fascinated Kurenai made her way toward him. He hadn't worn a yukata in years and he was concious of the expanse of chest he displayed and the calf that flashed below the hem of his yukata. He hadn't had time to get a proper yukata and had borrowed his uncle's from the year before. Done in gray on white crosshatching with a lighter gray belt holding the yukata together, Asuma wore his trench knives hanging from his belt.

He was also trying not to stare at Kurenai in her deep crimson furisode with golden firebirds flying across the fabric in full splendor. Her wild hair had been tamed and was settled around her face in a lovely light bun with two beautiful kanazashi sakura chains flowing over one shoulder. Her obi was tied in a butterfly knot, in sakura pink with a gold obi-jime and just a bit of gold peeking over the top of the obi. She wasn't wearing the traditional under-robe, but no one really noticed. Asuma did though. His cigarette nearly fell from his mouth as the crimson vision approached him.

Kurenai didn't know if she could stand the tall zori her parents had made for her much longer. She just wanted to wear geta without tabi, the white socks irritating her to no end, but her mother had nearly thrown a fit when she said so. To calm her, she had worn the zori, but she had hidden her geta in her obi. She waved a mother of pearl fan in front of her to cool herself. It was really hot today. The sakura chain hanging from her kanazashi tinkled with small bells to keep the spirits away as she moved. Her hair was starting to fall in wisps around her neck. She should have known it wouldn't stay that way for long. She lifted her eyes to Asuma as she came closer to him. He looked like one of those old timey samurais, with his yukata hanging open like that.

As she got closer, she smiled. "It seems that this festival brings out the best in men." She laughed when he blushed and puffed on his cigarette harder. "Where did you get that yukata?" She didn't give him a chance to answer as she whispered close to his ear, "I like it on you." She moved on, letting the light jasmine perfume float by him. She glanced back once with her fan hiding her lower face to blink slowly at Asuma.

Asuma didn't say a word, but just stubbed out his cigarette and followed her. There wouldn't be much talking from him. He could already tell by her heated looks and that perfume.

(a) (a) (a)

Kakashi shook his head as he watched his friend get lured away by the crimson clad woman. He could only guess that it was Kurenai. Why those two just didn't move in together was beyond him. Most of the others had figured it out, but they just didn't seem to care. He yawned again. He'd slept late to make up for the lack of sleep he'd had over the past week. Luckily he had missed the Walk. He didn't think he could stand to hear the squeals of the village girls over his masked face and the black patch covering his Sharingan. The old thing had gotten a lot of use in the past two months. Maybe he should wear it when he visited the hot springs. He leapt down to the street lithely, surprising a couple that had snuck off into a shadowed alley to make-out. He smiled at them and continued into the street.

He wondered where Genma and Raidou were. He hadn't seen Genma for the last three days and Raidou had been a blur as he came in and out of the Hokage's office. They had said they were attending the Spring Festival, so they should have been there already. What he hadn't counted on was the hulking and loud green blob heading his way. He groaned and tried to make himself as small as possible.

"Where is my Eternal Rival? Where is Hatake Kakashi?" Gai's over loud voice boomed. He strode toward the nearly hidden silver mop as it weaved away from him. "There you are!"

Kakashi sobbed to himself and stopped trying to sneak away. "What was that noise just now?" he queried, wiggling a finger in his ear.

Gai held a hand over his heart. "Always so cool!"

"What is it, Gai? I'm to tired to fool with your antics today," Kakashi said, turning to his old friend. "This is my time off and I plan on enjoying it."

Gai held his hands out in front of him. "Nothing to worry about, rival of mine. I'm just here to show you to our booth so we can all revel in this spring of youth surrounding us." Gai held his arms akimbo and gleamed.

Kakashi could swear that he acutally sparkled. He blinked his eye and shrugged. "Take me to the damn booth, Gai."

Gai sniffed and turned away. "Fine. Be that way, sourpuss."

Kakashi thought about hitting him in the head, but he wasn't sure if he could stand to get close to the green monstrosity. The man didn't have any imagination whatsoever. Gai had dressed in his famous green, but in yukata form with a red belt. He even had a small red fan tucked into his belt. Kakashi looked anywhere but at Gai's back as they meandered to a stall that had set up several tables and a large booth. Genma and Raidou were already there, both wearing simple white on grey crosshatched yukatas and geta. Kotetsu and Izumo were also wearing matching patterns of dragons in blue and red on black. There was no sign of Iruka and that was just fine by Kakashi. He didn't think he could handle being close the man or he might just take him then and there. He had been thinking about him constantly. Even his normally quiet libido was bugging him about the teacher. He settled in near Genma and greeted the group, pushing thoughts of a certain brown haired Chuunin out of his head.

Genma smiled over at Kakashi. "Is that a new yukata?"

Kakashi rolled his eye. "Yes. Why?"

Genma shrugged. "I just noticed that it was longer than the last time I saw it. How do you like this time-off?"

"I needed it. She's been riding my ass all week. I still haven't figured out why though," he scratched his head. "Do you know?" He didn't miss the look Genma shot the group.

"She's just mad at you for being so insubordinate," Genma lied.

Kakashi narrowed his eye. Something fishy was going on. "Genma, I know you're lying. You always look away from me when you lie." He waited as Genma tried to think of a way out of this one.

(a) (a) (a)

Iruka smiled and greeted the people he knew as they called out to him. He was blushing profusely when several young girls he had never met said that he was sexy with his hair down. He had decided that he wouldn't wear his hair up, though he wished he had brought the silver tie with him. It was getting hot and the turquiose fan was barely moving the air around his face. His sword clacked lightly in it's scabbard as he walked through the large festival area. He had done the Walk, walking the entire length of the festival grounds with his students laughing and playing around his legs and the parents chatting with him. He hadn't seen any of his friends, though he thought he caught sight of Kurenai in a stunning deep crimson furisode. He would have to track her down and congratulate her on her kimono.

After a lengthy stuttered walk back near the middle of the grounds, Iruka spotted Gai and Izumo sitting in a large booth. Grinning, he strode over to the table and tapped his fan on the table, taking up a saucer of sake.

"Hello, my fine gentlemen," he beamed, not noticing the silvered Jounin. "Another fine Spring Festival we celebrate and may the years be kind to those that come after!" Iruka threw the sake down his throat and looked around the table. He froze when he spied Kakashi. _Shit_. "Hatake," he nodded cooly, snapping the fan open.

Kakashi didn't know what to do. Here was his fantasy in front of him and he was giving him the cold shoulder. Didn't he know that it wasn't his fault? Why was he being so mean to him? Hell, why was everyone being mean to him? It just wasn't fair. He goes on one stinking mission without telling anyone and he catches all the shit. _Arrggghhh_!

"Umino," Kakashi replied just as cooly. _Fine_, _if that's how you want to play it_.

Genma glance between the two and nearly panicked. "Guys, come on. Be nice. It's a festival and we have tomorrow off. Why don't we head over to the river and go fishing? Huh?"

Iruka smiled brightly at his friend. "Sure, Genma. I'd love to. I haven't had much time these last few months. What time?"

The afternoon quickly faded into dusk and then nightfall. Iruka had tried not to tip his hand in letting Kakashi get close to him and hadn't been surprised when the man had replied back just as coldly. He had probably figured out what was going on and wasn't happy about it. It was all his fault anyway, so why not make him suffer a little in return? Thier group ordered takoyaki and drank more of the warm sake that seemed to appear on the table whenever there was an empty bottle.

It was getting close to the fireworks to be set off and they paid the booth owner. Laughing loudly and carrying on like a bunch of schoolkids, the seven men made thier drunken way to the viewing field. They watched as kids ran around with sparklers and shot off firecrackers. Parents and couples cuddled close, sharing looks, touches, and fleeting kisses. There were many that had gathered in the field and Iruka wanted to see if his old spot was still available. He waved to his friends and set off for his secret spot. He didn't notice the shadow that followed close behind.

Iruka sighed in relief when he found the clearing empty of people. This was his and Mizuki's old hideout and thier Spring Festival viewing spot. They could watch the fireworks without the distractions of sparklers and noisy children. He tapped a hollow tree and smiled as he pulled the old, but clean, white blanket from inside. It never failed that it was always clean and smelled of the Sandaime's tobacco. It still smelled of his old friend and mentor, so he could only guess that Tsunade-sama had taken over the cleaning of it. He buried his face in the fluffy whiteness and inhaled. He spread it out, taking his sword away from his waist. He almost missed the feeling of someone watching him. He tried to focus on the direction of the watcher without using his Chakra. _There_!

Iruka leapt for the nearest tree to make him a lesser targer then cursed when he remembered he was wearing a light color. There would be no hiding from his watcher. He swung his eyes around the small glade and spotted a flash of white. He narrowed his eyes and thumbed his blade open. He wouldn't be caught off guard this time. He wondered how long Kakashi would play his cat and mouse game. He tracked flashes of white, not once picking up Chakra flares. He was fast, but Iruka was just a bit faster.

He calculated the path that Kakashi was taking and sped over, taking the man's legs out from under him. Kakashi flipped over his head, but Iruka was already across the glade. He glared at Kakashi and dared him to make a move. It would be a shame to dirty up his brand new yukata, but it was a small price to pay if he could teach Kakashi one thing. He shifted his weight to his off foot and waited, his thumb still keeping his blade open. He watched as Kakashi lifted the patch from his Sharingan and pulled his mask down. His face was a blank, but Iruka could just imagine the Sharingan was starting it's lazy whirl. He would have to be careful.

Kakashi couldn't figure him out. He had acted so non-aware when he had followed him, but as soon as he set that blanket on the ground, he had focused in on his position. He had watched as Iruka had tried to hide in the shadows, but the yukata wasn't going to help either of them this night. He had heard the slide of the blade as it was opened. He was serious. He had shaken his head, but had darted away to the left, hoping to get behind him. After three passes, Iruka had been in front of him and had tripped him up. He was fast and was getting even better at tracking.

After waiting for the Sharingan to start it's activating whirl, Kakashi looked for the shift that would indicate Iruka's intentions. He was still holding the blade in a draw position should he need it, but he hadn't yet drawn it. This temper the little teacher was showing him made him want him more. He had not dared go near him since that disasterous retrieval, fearing he would do something he would regret later. Then the Hokage had given him what he had thought was a godsend when she sent him on all those missions. They kept him so busy he was too tired to even want to talk to anyone. Now that he thought about it, it was just a little to convienant. He narrowed his eyes as he stared across the glade at the object of his desire.

He could only wait, but that didn't mean he couldn't take in the gorgeous brunette across from him. He looked really good in the dolphin patterned beige yukata. His hair was flying wild and made him look even younger than he was, but the expression in those chocolate brown eyes held him rapt. He could see the fear and excitement mingling in thier depths. Iruka was enjoying this as much as he was. If he wanted to fight, they would fight. But that didn't mean he couldn't have this beguiling man. He smiled to himself and launched himself across the clearing, his Sharingan become active. Unfair, but it would keep him from getting sliced.

Iruka put his weight full on his left foot. He sensed Kakashi's muscles bunching, then waited as he sped toward him. As he got closer, he saw the Sharingan whirl crazily. _Damn_. He would have to be unpredictable, nothing calculated. Troublesome, but he could possibly get the upper hand. Instead of a throwing himself to the side, he fell back and let Kakashi fly over his head. He quickly gained his footing again and spun. He dodged to the right as the silver haired man threw a quick punch to his chest, but caught a left fist in the ribs. He grunted, but sweeped Kakashi's legs. He wasn't surprised when he jumped over his leg. At the same time he pulled the fan from his belt, his hand flying up and slapping the side of Kakashi's head. He didn't smile when the man huffed, but leapt as far as he could backwards. He ripped his sword from his belt and tossed it onto the blanket as he sailed over it. He wouldn't need it.

Landing lightly, he scanned the bushes for Kakashi. He had ducked behind a tree and was probably in the tree tops. He stretched his senses. He felt the man silently making his way around the trees behind him. He waited, the fan tapping his leg. He ducked as Kakashi flew at him from above, barely feeling the heels of his feet brush by his head. He shoved the fan into Kakashi's back and smiled as he was thrown off balance. Taking advantage, he quickly threw a series of punches though he only landed the first two. The Jounin dropped, grabbed Iruka by the waist and threw him onto the blanket. Before Iruka could gain his feet, Kakashi was straddling his chest. Iruka felt the pressure of Kakashi's knees dig into his arms and felt his legs gripped tightly by his opponents calves and feet.

Breathing heavily, both men stared at each other. Neither noticed as the first of the fireworks were shot into the sky creating a midnight dawn.

(a) (a) (a)

A/N: A promise is a promise. Another chapter to follow this one very shortly. I'll be working on the next few chapters over the next week, but can't say when I'll have them up.

We are having a rather large music festival starting next weekend and I'll be attending the events for the following week. In about two to three weeks, I will have a site that will host fanart related to this fic and others. If anyone would like to contribute a pic for the site, just send it to me through my email. You can find that on my profile page.

Ja!


	19. Thunder

Part Two: Illusion's Folly 

Chapter 19

Thunder

(a) (a) (a)

Iruka's pulse was thundering in his chest. He hadn't thought he could beat the Jounin sitting on him, but he could dream. Infact, he was quite liking the interesting position he was in at the moment. He tried to regulate his breathing to ease the ache building in lungs. Kakashi was rail thin, but he was heavy!

"Get off me, you ape!" Iruka gasped. "You're crushing my lungs!" He bucked, trying to dislodge his captor.

Kakashi blinked, but held on. He was enjoying this very much. Seeing the excited flush staining Iruka's face was enchanting. Instead, he grabbed the teacher's wrists, shifting his weight to the blanket covered ground while lifting his arm's above his head. Using his larger hand, he trapped both of his quarry's wrists in his, freeing up his right hand. He smiled as those chocolate brown eyes blinked in confusion.

Carefully, he slipped his hand under the front fold of the beige yukata, feeling the silky fabric brush the back of his hand and the slightly rougher cotton under-robe under his palm. He focused his eyes on Iruka's as he eased the under-robe aside, touching warm skin. Another smile painted his lips as Iruka gasped. Kakashi could feel his pulse jump faster as his hand tugged at the fabric at his throat. Lifting enough away, Kakashi leaned down, flicking his tongue over that soft brown throat. While he laved that honey tasting throat, he took the fan from Iruka's belt and set it aside. That out of the way, he loosened the belt and pushed the robes apart, exposing the lean chest beneath.

"Just a taste," Kakashi whispered to himself.

Iruka watched in fascination as Kakashi whispered something to himself. He pulse was racing and his breathing was even more labored than before. He wasn't sure what Kakashi had been doing when he had shifted off of him, but it didn't take long for him to guess. He had drawn in a shuddering breath as that milky white hand had plunged under his robes. He thought he was going to die when that hot tongue blazed a trail from his ear to the curve of his shoulder. He barely registered the movement at his waist until he felt the cool night breeze on his hot skin.

Now that silver head was dipping again, warm breath skimming his sensitized skin, leaving little tingles in it's wake. He drew in a sharp breath when that hot mouth settled over a dark brown nipple. Arching his back, Iruka tried to get closer to Kakashi's mouth. He wanted to touch him, but could only struggle vainly in the other's vise-like grip. He felt a sharp pain and moaned in pleasure. He arched again, hoping that Kakashi would get the hint and let him go. He sighed in relief as he was released. His hands immediately went to the Jounin's silvered head and held it closer. After that wet tongue had finished with his nipple, Iruka lifted Kakashi's head for a deep, heated kiss.

Kakashi reveled in the sensation of his tongue being sucked hungrily. He had missed this. Not the sex, well maybe a little, but it was the human contact. But most of all, he had missed the little Chuunin. He let the younger man suck on his tongue for a little longer before pulling back. He could see his reflection in those fever bright chocolate eyes and he wanted to drown in them. With both his hands free now, he could push the beige silk down Iruka's shoulders until his arms were pinned again. He smiled wolfishly and leaned down to nip at Iruka's neck.

Iruka was a little tiffed that he couldn't move again, but he didn't stay that way for long. He was to busy enjoying the sensations of sharp teeth on his neck and shoulders, followed by an equally tantalizing wet tongue to ease the pain left behind. He moaned low in his throat as that wonderful mouth traced a path down his chest. He sucked in a breath as teeth brushed over his right nipple. Expecting more, he watched in curiosity as Kakashi nibbled a few times and then made his way further down his abdomen.

Iruka was already hard from the bites and that long, hard kiss. He knew that Kakashi could feel it as he moved down so that he was sitting on his knees. He watched as Kakashi easily removed the silvery blue belt from around his waist and lay it aside, next to his mother's fan. As the folds of his yukata were pulled aside, Iruka's cock jerked as it met the cool night air. He gasped as a feather light finger brushed across him.

"Kakashi?" Iruka whispered, a bright yellow rocket booming overhead.

Kakashi didn't say anything as he surveyed his prize. Bathed in the fading light of the yellow rocket, Iruka's skin was painted a deep gold. He looked so helpless looking up at him. His hair was spread in a wild array around his head, those expressive brown eyes and wet lips pleading, and the yukata trapping his arms made Kakashi's cock get harder. _He looks beautiful lying there_. _What God has granted me this gift_? he wondered.

"A taste," he whispered to himself again. _Yeah right_.

Reaching forward, Kakashi lifted Iruka from the blanket and crushed his lips against Iruka's. He delved into that sweet mouth, plundering it's depths, trying to get the taste into his soul. He eased the yukata from Iruka's arms, feeling the teacher's hands reach for his belt and tugging on it. He chuckled to himself. Just can't keep his hands to himself. He shrugged his own yukata from his shoulders and let it fall in a pool around his and Iruka's knees. He sighed as the silky material fell away from him, letting the evening breeze cool his heated skin. It was going to get even hotter before he was done here.

Iruka nearly ripped the buttery silk in his haste to get to Kakashi's white flesh. He breathed a heavy sigh as the material finally gave and bared that striking white to his eyes. As more and more rockets were fired into the air, bathing the two men in flashes of green, blue, red, and gold, Iruka could make out the darker pink of old scars. He gently kissed the ones he could reach while running his hands over the ones he couldn't get to with his mouth. He tentatively laved at the ones around Kakashi's stomach, the tiny line of silver hairs running from his navel to his groin tickling the underside of Iruka's chin. Wrapping his arms around the older man's waist, he nuzzled Kakashi's navel, making the man laugh.

"Mmmm," Iruka said into the velvet white flesh. "I found a tickish spot." He nuzzled again, getting another laugh out of the Jounin. He smiled and ran his fingers up Kakashi's ribs. A strangled laugh escaped the silver haired man's lips and he jerked at the sudden sensation. Iruka grinned evilly up at the man and wiggled his eyebrows.

Kakashi wasn't ready to play yet. He wanted Iruka under him and begging. He could tickle him later. Grabbing Iruka's wrists, he shifted enough to where Iruka was now on his knees too. Iruka blinked at him in mild confusion, but didn't have time to make a protest as Kakashi's hands plucked at his nipples, making them pebble hard. He threw his head back, closing his eyes. Wave after wave of pleasure washed over him as Kakashi alternately pinched and sucked those hard nubs. He started as a warm hand lightly touched his thigh.

"Keep you eyes closed, little teacher," Kakashi breathed into his ear.

He could feel Kakashi move to his side. He could only wonder at what he was doing, but he didn't open his eyes. Now he could feel him behind him, his body pressing up agains him. He heard the shifting of cloth and then Kakashi was all around him. He felt as powerful thighs rested next to his own and that hard and hot body press against his back. He groaned low as the rock hard, velvet soft cock brushed his buttocks making his own twitch in response. He again felt a hand brush lightly along his thigh, up his hip, and towards his neck. Another hand ran down his shoulder and stopped when it came to the bunched tissue that met in the very middle of back. It lingered there for a moment before something soft and wet took it's place.

Iruka gasped as Kakashi kissed the scar left behind by Mizuki. He had been very lucky that his old friend hadn't severed his spinal cord. If it had been an inch closer to his spine, he would never have walked again. He moaned again and leaned forward, allowing greater access to his back. He could feel that smooth silver hair brush back and forth across his back as Kakashi paid homage to his proof of his love to Naruto. He kept his eyes closed as Kakshi's left hand moved over his shoulder, down his ribs and back to his hip.

Kakashi kissed his way back up to Iruka's shoulder. He sipped at the salty sweat starting to gather along his shoulders and neck. He pushed his way through Iruka's lemon smelling hair toward the connection of shoulder and neck. He wrapped his right arm around the teacher and brought him flush with his own chest, his hand plucking at Iruka's nipple, his left hand tracing skittering patterns across his brown hip and lower abdomen. He kissed at the junction of neck and shoulder, prepping the man he was about to take. As his hand crept closer and closer to Iruka's pulsing cock, Kakashi opened his mouth and bit down on that junction at the same time his hand wrapped around that lovely cock.

Iruka cried out at the twin sensations. His back arching away as Kakashi claimed his neck and that teasing hand wrapped around him. He could feel the pressure building and suddenly he exploded, ejaculating hard as Kakashi bit and squeezed again. Turning his head, Iruka broke Kakashi away from his neck, claiming his mouth in a deep kiss. He could feel the other's cock pressing against his ass as he cam back against that lean body. He took some of his cum and spread it over his hand, wiggling it back and rubbing it over Kakashi's member.

"Now, Kakashi, please," Iruka breathed into the man's mouth. "I want you inside me."

Kakashi held his breath as he felt that tender hand slicking his cock with his own juices. He growled low and pushed Iruka forward as he stood on his knees. He smoothed a hand over his back and leaned forward, kissing again that scar painting his little teacher's back. Carefully, he shifted and pressed himself into Iruka. He could feel the pressure as it gave and he pushed further in. He moaned loudly and pumped his hips. He could hear Iruka's heavy breathing as he arched his back and pushed back onto his cock. Kakashi held onto Iruka's hips as he pumped and gyrated his hips, hitting against Iruka's prostate, making him breathe heavier.

Iruka arched back and came off his hands, keeping his ass high enough to accomodate Kakashi's thrusts, and ran his hands down Kakashi's thighs, feeling the power behind each thrust. Taking one of Kakashi's hands, he wrapped it around his growing cock. Kakashi took the hint and pumped it in time to his own thrusts. Iruka was panting now, his head thrown back so he could get more air. He could feel that blinding force building again. He pushed Kakashi's hand away and fell forward again. Using his own hand he pumped his cock faster and harder, as Kakashi thurst faster and harder. Iruka went down on his chest, one hand bunching in the white blanket as the other worked faster and faster.

Both cried out as the last of the fireworks boomed skyward.

(a) (a) (a)

An hour later, both men groaned and tried to move. Iruka lifted his head, lucky that he could move at all. He was replete and his bones felt like jelly. It was thanks to Kakashi. The man was an amazing lover, taking him to another climax only moments before. Kakashi was half sprawled over him, his head buried in Iruka's yukata. The blanket was a mess. There were at least four stains that were going to be hard to remove. Iruka blushed. He had forgotten about that. He sighed tiredly. He should really try to get Kakashi up and dressed. It was getting colder and he was heavy.

"Oi!" Iruka called, tapping Kakashi's head. "Get off me, you ox."

Kakashi turned his head and grinned. "You weren't saying that a minute ago."

Iruka whacked the silver head, ignoring the mock cry of pain. "You're heavy and I'm cold."

Kakashi grumbled, but somehow got his body to listen to him. "You didn't have to hit me."

"How else were you going to wake up?" Iruka chirped, smiling brightly.

Glaring now, Kakashi sat up. "You could have asked," he grumbled. "Where's my belt?"

After some searching and a stolen kiss or two, the men were dressed and the roughly used blanket was folded and put back in it's hiding place. It was well after midnight, but there was still plenty of people milling around the festival grounds. It wasn't long before they had found a quiet enough bar and took a shadowed corner.

After ordering sake, Kakashi asked Iruka something that had been bugging him for a while. "Why were you so mad at me earlier?"

Iruka had the grace to blush, but he answered carefully. "Well, you ran off without telling me where you were going and then you didn't come and see me after I got back from Tsunade-sama's care. You just left my things by the front door."

Kakashi winced, but there was really anything he could say. "I didn't think you would want to see me after you got back. You were pissed when I handed you off to Asuma." He took a sip of his sake. "It wasn't like I wanted to stay away, it was that Tsunade had me running all over the place on missions this past week. I barely had time to eat or sleep." He narrowed his eyes at the teacher. "It was almost like she was mad at me for something."

Iruka looked down at his sake then downed the whole thing. "Mad at you? Why would she be mad at you?"

"Hnn," was all Kakashi said.

They spent the rest of the night drinking and talking until the owner chased them out. Iruka was nearly falling down drunk and Kakashi wasn't far behind him. Keeping each other upright, Kakashi helped Iruka to his apartment. Opening the door, the two men shuffled back to Iruka's bedroom where Iruka promptly fell onto his bed, pulling the Jounin down with him. Iruka giggled, tossing his katana to the floor.

"You're drunk, little teacher," Kakashi chuckled, grabbing the turquoise fan and laying it on the headboard.

"And you're not going anywhere," Iruka stated, locking an arm around Kakashi's waist and curling up to him.

Kakashi laughed and tried to extricate himself but found that the smaller Chuunin had a death grip on him. He laughed to himself and stopped trying to get away. Smiling behind his mask, the most dangerous man in Konaha fell asleep in the arms of a hapless teacher.

(a) (a) (a)

The next morning Iruka woke to a blinding headache and the smell of food. His stomach flipped in response, but he pulled himself into a sitting position. He was naked, he noted. He didn't remember undressing. He spotted his yukata hanging in the corner and another yukata hanging beside it. Kakashi. He could hear the man puttering around in the kitchen. What was he doing? Carefully, Iruka went into the bathroom. Taking a quick, hot shower, he felt better.

Grabbing a pair of old sweats, he slipped them on and headed for the kitchen. He was hungry. Stopping in the livingroom, he watched as an unmasked Kakashi padded around in nothing but a pair of Iruka's old uniform pants. They were a little small, but they made the older man look that much more irresistable. Smiling, Iruka went into the kitchen and hugged his lover from behind.

"Good morning," he said into Kakashi's warm back.

Kakshi lifted his left arm, angling his head to peer back at Iruka and smiled. "Good morning to you, too. Hungry?"

"Starving!" Iruka exclaimed.

Kakashi laughed and ushered him into the livingroom. "Stay put and I'll have breakfast out in a minute."

After a quiet breakfast, Iruka remembered his plans for the afternoon. Asking if Kakashi would like to come with him, he dressed in a pair of soft jeans and an old t-shirt proclaiming some long ago cartoon. Kakashi slipped back into his yukata and waited as Iruka slipped into his sandals and gathered his fishing gear. They would have to go to his apartment so he could change, but they would teleport to the gates to meet Genma and the others in time to leave.

After Kakashi changed and they teleported to the gates, it didn't take long for Genma, Raidou, Izumo, Kotetsu, Anko, Asuma, and a contented Kurenai to show up. They all had what they needed and the laughing group started off for a large river a few miles away. The afternoon was spent in relative peace as the friends laughed and told fish tales. The day's fishing ended as Izumo and Kotetsu started to horse around, getting Genma into the mix. From there it turned into a huge game of tag and left the men and women laughing and struggling to breathe.

(a) (a) (a)

Genma and Raidou gathered their fishing gear as a shadow appeared next to them.

Genma rolled his eyes and looked up. "Yes?"

"I need to talk to you," Anko said, hands on her hips.

"I don't have anything new Anko. I'm sorry," Genma groused, shoving a lure into his tackle box.

"You haven't tried," was her response.

"You try getting past Ibiki!" he shouted. He glared at the woman. "I'd really like to see you try!"

Anko grinned in her typical psychotic way, licking her lips. "I think I will."

Genma and Raidou blinked and she was gone. Raidou turned to his partner and said, raising his hands, "I don't want to know."

(a) (a) (a)

A/N: Gomen! Gomen! I know it's late, but, again, life intervened in me getting this up. The music festival was great and I had a little more to drink than I should, but it was a blast.

I wonder what Anko has planned for Ibiki...maybe I don't want to know. Something for those Ibiko fans. I might even make it an intermission piece. But I hope you enjoyed this kinda short update. I still haven't found all my papers and the cat refuses to talk. Even after I took away his toys and his baby.

Well, until the next update.

Ja!


	20. Flash Point

Illusion's Folly 

Chapter 20

Flash Point

(a) (a) (a)

Iruka blinked once, twice, then groaned. He felt something warm and hard pressing into his side and cracked an eye open to see Kakashi's head burrowed into his waist, an arm thrown over his hips. He smiled tenderly down on the sleeping man and ran a brown hand through his crazily skewed silver head. Amazing that only four days ago they had reconciled. It had been the most amazing four days though.

Kakashi had been sleeping in his bed those nights and what pleasures they had brought to one another. Besides the exhausting sex, they had fed one another, bathed in Iruka's huge tub, and gazed at the stars on the roof. Though Iruka had been surprised when Kakashi had decided to take him then and there. That had been an experience. They had almost been caught when the night patrol had passed by. Only the Jounin's senses had saved them the embarrassment. Laughing the two of them had tumbled through the bedroom window and continued where they had left off. Iruka smiled dreamily as he remembered that night.

"What are you smiling for?" Kakashi said through a yawn, his handsome face scrunched up.

Iruka chuckled and ran a hand through that wild hair again. "I was just thinking of the stars."

Kakashi grinned as well, kissing Iruka's hip. It was still warm where he had been sleeping. It amazed him at how supple the teacher's skin was. Smooth and only slightly more scarred than it used to be. He ran a hand over that brown skin, skimming it over the other's taut stomach and felt a shiver run through his lover's body. He smiled to himself. All mine.

Iruka glanced at the clock on his headboard and groaned. If he didn't hurry, Gai would come banging on his door. He playfully shoved the white body away from him and rolled out of bed. He dodged a lunge and giggled as he ran naked for the bathroom. Ten minutes later he was out and dressed in an old pair of sweats and a light shirt. He had pulled his hair back in his usual ponytail and was fishing around the wardrobe for his weapons pouch. Finding it, he strapped it to his waist and stretched again.

Kakashi watched as Iruka went about getting dressed. He had nothing planned for the day and thought about watching Iruka train with Gai and Asuma. He had wondered exactly what it was they were teaching his little teacher and it had him intrigued that Iruka was able to calculate where his attacks had been coming from. He was faster than usual and more limber. He grinned wolfishly at the last. To his ultimate satisfaction. But the bed was still warm and he was still sleepy. He was amazed at the recuperative abilites the Chuunin had. He should have been too tired to crack an eye open, much less move, after the night they had spent rolling around the bed with little cries and shrieks of pleasure.

Iruka could feel those mismatched eyes following him. He could feel the desire pouring from them, but he didn't have time to sate Kakashi. As much as he wanted too, though. He needed this training and it was really the only thing besides Kakashi that kept him sane anymore. He could tell that the training was working. He needed a few more months of this and he would be just as fast as Kakashi, maybe even Gai. Still smiling, he waved at Kakashi and left the apartment, double timing to get to the training field before Gai came looking for him.

Several hours later, a sweaty and winded Iruka leaned againt the giant oak that the little training group had taken as their resting spot. He was very proud of himself that he wasn't doubled over and breathing as if he had no air. This was the sum total of his three months of training. Even his Chakra levels had increased with extended use. He was very surprised at this. He had never thought that a person could increase in Chakra levels if they had a set limit. He shrugged and sipped from the water bottle in his hand. Gai and Asuma were sparring to give him a breather.

He wasn't to sure what they would teach him this week, but it looked to be just as hard as that first week. Gai wanted to show him a new technique for kunai that Ten-Ten has stumbled upon and Asuma wanted him to team with Genma to learn some more sword techniques. He didn't think for a second that he would ever beat Genma on that front. He and Hayate were the best with the katana. Granted he wasn't a bad swordsman, but those two were like dervishes. He watched as Gai was bounced off a nearby tree from a well aimed kick from Asuma. He smiled, took one last sip of water, and headed back into the fray.

(a) (a) (a)

Kakashi glanced up from his well worn Ichi Ichi Violence and blinked slowly. The three men had been at it for several hours now. The sun was starting it's descent when he noticed something strange. He blinked again and focused on the group better. Gai was dodging a dual attack from both Asuma and Iruka, the taijitsu master rapidly backpedaling to avoid the Chakra infused trench knives and kunai each were weilding. Setting aside his book, Kakashi lifted his hiteate, letting the Sharingan activate so he could see what was really happening. Feeling slightly dizzy as it reached full whirl, he focused on the Jounin and Chuunin. Iruka had gained power if he wasn't mistaken. He was using more than he had ever used in his entire Chuunin life, of that Kakashi was sure.

He had watched the little brown man for longer than anyone really suspected. He narrowed his eye as the teacher leaped above Gai and slammed into the ground, a shockwave sweeping across the training field. Gai stumbled as the ground shook. Kakashi had never seen Iruka use that one before. Then again, what did he really know about the man. You've only been screwing him for a few weeks now. He growled at himself and continued to watch as Asuma sped toward the still recovering Gai and Iruka again leapt through the air, seeming to step through it to reach the Jounin, his feet barely touching the trees before launching off again. He's fast, probably faster than me now.

Gai avoided Asuma easily, but nearly was cut as Iruka flipped over and behind him, dipping low to sweep the kunai across his hamstings. Gai stepped aside, but was nearly cut again as the teacher pushed off the ground into a tuck and rolled behind him again. This time Gai jumped with a Chakra burst, gaining the trees and the shadows. Both men stood back to back, scanning the tree line. Suddenly, Iruka muttered something and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. To the left of Asuma came the clash of steel on steel and Gai leapt from the trees, right into Asuma, who put his trench knives to Gai's throat and stomach. Gai lifted his hands in laughing surrender and both stood and waited for Iruka to stride from the trees.

Kakashi had seen it all. Iruka was fast and getting better at tracking. He was a great tracker. Why had he never taken the Jounin exams? He blinked to slow the whirl of the Sharingan and covered it. Iruka was gaining much more from this training that anyone had thought. He was faster, gaining power, and he was surprising the others with jitsus that none had ever seen the Chuunin use or even knew he had. Feeling the drain that the Sharigan leeched from him, Kakashi sighed, gathered his book, and ported to Ichiraku's. He would bring Iruka a good hot meal to help replenish his flagging strength. After his favorite ramen was prepared, he headed for the apartment. Iruka was sure to come home in the next few minutes and Kakashi wanted to surprise him.

Smiling the Jounin entered apartment, but stopped before he entered. He glanced up and grinned at Cat, not really wanting to.

"Yo, Cat. I'm needed?" he asked, gesturing for Cat to come down and enter the apartment.

Cat leapt down and entered, shutting the door behind her. "Hokage-sama requests that both you and Iruka come to her office." She sniffed at the hot ramen, her stomach grumbling.

"Have you eaten today?" Kakashi asked his former teammate.

"Not yet. I've been working non-stop all day," she muttered as she lifted her mask. She shouldn't but standing in the entryway, there was no one to see her face. "I'll eat after I finish up here."

Kakashi motioned her into the livingroom and proceeded into the kitchen, rummaging around for Iruka's favorite bowl and cup. "What does the Hokage want with us?" he asked from the kitchen as he set out dinner.

Cat grimaced and pulled her mask back down. "Not sure. She sent me out after you two." She waved as she went to the window. "See you later Kakashi." She disappeared with barely a sound.

"Things are going to get interesting," Kakashi said to the wall.

(a) (a) (a)

A short time later, the fed men strolled into Tsunade's office, only to duck as a scroll was tossed at them.

"I called you over half an hour ago!" The irate blonde yelled, plopping back in her seat. "You know better, brat!"

Kakashi slouched and shrugged. "Iruka needed to eat. He just finished his training session."

"Bah!" She griped, glaring at the silver headed Jounin. "I don't have time to play games with you today. I have a mission for you two." She tossed them each a scroll. "Those are your instructions. Your travel bags have been packed and are waiting at the mission office. Sakura will be accompanying you so stop by her house to pick her up."

Iruka blinked, but had yet to open his scroll. "Sakura-chan is coming with us?"

"The mission is light enough for her to handle, but still ranked B." Tsuande steepled her fingers and glared over the top of them. "I don't want another incident like the last time."

Iruka blushed and opened his scroll, quickly scanning the contents. Nothing to bad. They were to scout around some fuedal lord's estates and lands for a group of maruaders. More than likely, Sakura was only along for group training, something the newly made Chuunin kuniochi hadn't had in a long time. Sighing, he re-rolled the scroll and bowed to Tsunade.

"We'll do our best, Hokage-sama," he intoned gravely.

Tsunade smiled at Iruka and turned a baleful eye on Kakashi. "If you let anything happen like last time, I will roast your balls and feed them to you."

Kakashi shrugged and turned away. "As you will, Hokage." Opening the door, he called to Iruka over his shoulder. "Come on, Iruka. Let's gather our team and head out."

Iruka blinked after Kakashi, bowed to Tsunade again and tore out the door after his lover. He caught up to him near the doors to the mission office. Nodding to Genma and the others, they picked up their gear and left for the residential district. Iruka knew that Kakashi knew where Sakura lived, as well as he did, but he seemed to be hanging back. Trotting ahead, he knocked on the Haruno's door and waited as Sakura came rushing through the house. Opening the door, she barreled into Iruka, apologized, closed the door, grabbed Iruka and tore off down the street. Five seconds later, Iruka could hear Sakura's mother screaming for Sakura to come back. He shook his head and let her drag him to the bridge where Team Seven always met at. Not surprising, Kakashi was lounging against the rails waiting for them, reading a dog-eared copy of Ichi-Ichi Violence.

Shutting the book, he blinked lazily and said, "You're late."

Sakura stopped dead and glared. "That's my line, Kakashi-sensei."

"I am not your sensei anymore, Sakura. Kakashi will be fine. Besides, we are teammates," he chirped with a smile. "Do you know the mission we are on?"

"Yup, Tsunade-sama informed me a few minutes before sending for you. You know how hard it is to get away from the house if Mom thinks I am going on a mission outside the village," Sakura groused, a small smile playing about her lips.

"Don't I ever," Kakashi said with a smile of his own. "Now, let's be off before that crazy woman finds us and hits me with something hard."

Iruka laughed. "She would too."

Laughing, the three man team headed for the main gate and the beginning of Iruka's nightmare.

(a) (a) (a)

A/N: Gads!!! It's been way to long since I updated this fic. Not to worry. I have a new chapter to finish writing and post as soon as I proof it. Or at least try to proof it.

As for the long time between updates, well, most of it was due to me not being able to think of anything. Writer's Block is the worst thing that can happen in the middle of a great story. But I have overcome my block! Working full time has cured me. Well, mostly. But once you have a time that you have to sit and watch a gate for six boring hours, you kinda get inspired or go crazy.

So, to all my loyal readers, here is the next installment of Illusion's Folly. Expect the next chapter to roll in here in about two days. After that, I don't know when I will have time to write for a month as my fiance is flying in from overseas to spend the month with me. ) But there will be at least two more chapters to be released in the next month, if not three. It all depends on how inspired I can get.

Ja!!


	21. Decoy

_Illusion's Folly_

Chapter 21

Decoy

(a) (a) (a)

Taking a different route than last time, the small group made their way to Grass Country with happy smiles and lots of laughter. Having Sakura along didn't give the men much time, but she would disappear for several hours a day, usually after dinner. She said it was for first watch, but she would smile at them and wave, blurring into the shadows. She had chosen to change from her regular clothes into an eye hurting gray patterned long sleeved shirt and pants. She had devised a scarf from the same material as well as a scarf to wrap around her face. It definitely helped to hide her bright white skin against the blackness of the forests and the night. She had even opted for a black pair of sandals. Kakashi was well pleased with her insight into the need for stealth on this mission. Sakura had even learned to walk quietly enough that he couldn't tell where she was at until she was within fifteen feet of him. She could probably sneak up on anyone now.

After three days of rough, but happy travel, the group made it to the border. It was another few hours to the estate, but they would take it easy. Two hours out of the estate, Sakura held up her hand and motioned for the two men to come to her.

"Kakashi, what do you see ahead of us?" Sakura asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kakashi blinked and focused on the area she was pointed to. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary. At least not until he realized that the birds and insects had stopped making noise. Dropping the smile from his lips he stretched his senses out. There! He felt the presence of something. It was trying to disguise it's Chakra but it wasn't doing a good job. He motioned Iruka around him and Sakura to the left. She was the best at Chakra control outside of Tsunade. Of this he was certain, besides, the old hag wouldn't have taken her on as an apprentice when the team broke up. Keeping in mind that someone was trying hide from them, Kakashi opened his Sharingan and looked again.

Iruka understood most of the hand language the Jounins used and focused on working around the Chakra flares in front of them. He had sensed something not right when Sakura called them to a halt. He could barely tell where it was from, but once he knew, it was a simple matter of disguising his and working around behind the person. Now all he would have to do would be to make sure that he wasn't seen and he could jump the person.

(a) (a) (a)

Sakura shrouded herself in the shadows, glad that Shizune had found the material at one of the local merchants and had given it to her for her birthday. Her mother hadn't liked that she had it and was even more upset that she had made an outfit out of it. In reality, her parents didn't like it that she had chosen to go into the Academy. Her mother wanted her to stay home and out of trouble. She had seen what happened to people that became shinobi. Her father hadn't liked it either, but he didn't object to her attending. When she had made it out and later when she had competed in the exams, neither one had come to watch her. Not even for her win against one of the older Genin in her last exam. She could only hope that they would, one day, accept that she was a kuniochi.

Carefully keeping into the shadows, she drew the mask over her face and concentrated on the flare. A stray sound distracted her, making her turn her head. A black blur flew by her head and she ducked. Using a kawamiri, she hid in the shadows and watched. That made two. This one was better at disguising it's Chakra. She could only guess that whoever had thrown the shuriken was on her right and waiting for her to move again. She had no way of letting Kakashi or Iruka know that there was two. Focusing her senses, she sought out the shuriken thrower. A slight flare of Chakra and another shuriken flew by her head. Not moving, she damped her Chakra down to nothing. Whoever it was, they could find the slightest flare.

Smiling, Sakura gathered her Chakra and leaped straight up. She could hear a shower of the throwing stars following her, but she was quicker than that. It seemed that the thrower was following her trail instead of her. Coming down silently, she shut out her Chakra. Hearing the whoosh of another star, she simply bent down. Two things hit her at once. One that the attacker was blind. The second was that he had been herding her. She only came to this realization when she came face to face with a man hanging from the branch above her.

"Hello, cuteness," he grinned, his voice grinding like gravel.

(a) (a) (a)

Iruka found the young woman quite easily. He shook his head at her age. She couldn't have been any older than Sakura and she appeared to be weak and hurt. That could account for her trying to hide her Chakra from them. He wasn't going to take his chances though. She was at least able to recognize Chakra flares of others. What got him was that she was all alone and that she hadn't run when he and Sakura had damped out. He was suspicious and the animals were still not back to normal. Careful to keep behind the girl, he slowly approached her hiding place.

Before he was able to reach her, he felt another flare behind him. Diving with a quickness, he was able to catch what appeared to be a scythe pass over his head. _Wonderful_. Coming to his knees, Iruka looked around for the wielder of the weapon. He could feel the flare in front of and to the left, but there was nothing there. Concentrating, he could make out a wavering in the foliage. _What was it_? It was a man, he was certain of that. What jutsu was he using? Not getting a chance to think on it, the non-shadow moved.

Leaping away again to crouch on his knees, Iruka muttered the first justu that came to mind and slammed his fist into the ground. Shock waves resounded through the ground. The non-shadow wavered and fell away from the man, revealing the shock and determination of a trained killer. Gaining his balance, the man blinked at Iruka and cocked his head to the side.

He was huge, even bigger than the Raiden brothers. His hair was a deep black, the color of a moonless night. His eyes the same souless black of a shark's. His skin was so pale, it appeared blue with all the veins that ran through his skin. When he smiled, his teeth were sharpened to points. _Wave_. _Damn_. _Not a good thing_. But if he used Water then Iruka could work against him with Earth. If only that were the case. Otherwise, he could be in some serious trouble. Wave Genin were just as strong as Fire Chuunin. The Chuunin of Wave were brutal and fierce. They would rather take your life than save it. There was a reason that Wave was feared and it wasn't because of the bad dental plan.

"I've found something to tide me over," the missing Wave nin giggled, licking his pale lips.

"Shit," was all Iruka said before dodging another powerful swing of the scythe.

(a) (a) (a)

Kakashi couldn't help but notice the Chakra flares of Sakura and Iruka. _So_, he thought, _there were more than this one_. _I had thought as much_. As he had sent out the two Chuunin, he had thought there were at least two more hiding and using them to draw them out would help to know exactly how many were there. The girl was a decoy, possibly for one of the local traveler's. They were just the unlucky ones to come against them. His eyes widened slightly when he felt a stronger flare to his left. There was another and it was at least Jounin level. Sakura was in for some trouble. She had at least two to deal with now. He would have to end the search part of his self appointed mission to help her out. What he didn't expect was another stronger flare coming from his right. _Damn it all to hell_!

Iruka had to have found the other one, but this one was a Jounin. He main problem was now apparent when he stepped out to head off in Sakura's direction. Two men and the decoy stepped out, shedding any disguise on their Chakra or village of origin. Or should he say lack thereof. He could see the scratched out Wave symbol and sighed. He absolutely hated Wave. And here were three of the bastards. At least they weren't Jounin. There was no doubt that there was a Wave missing nin camp around the lord's estates. Now it was up to the three of them to rout them out. **_Great_**. Sighing in disgust, Kakashi came out fully and adjusted his headband.

Now that Kakashi could see them better, he noticed that they looked alike. Nearly identical. Each had thier greenish colored hair, blue-green eyes, pale skin, and pointed teeth. _What was with the pointed teeth_? They were all the same height, build, and weight. The only difference was the girl. He only knew it was a female by the swelling of her chest and hips. But they all outweighed him by at least thirty pounds and they were taller than he was. _What the hell was this_? _Pick on Kakashi day_?

"Something interesting has fallen into our laps, bros," the girl chirped in a high voice, her blue-green eyes flashing with predatory glee.

"God is out to get me today, I take it," Kakashi mumbled before taking his usual slouching posture.

(a) (a) (a)

A/N: I know, you'll kill me for leaving off right here. But there is a plan to this madness. I want to give you readers a better view of Sakura's fighting ability, as she had gained some respect from me because of the manga. And I am referring to the time skip Sakura. I like her better now. Besides, she doesn't get enough time in fights anyway.

And we all know that Kakashi will take out the triplets with little effort. I can't wait to finish the fight scene with Iruka and his Jounin opponent. That will prove to be a very interesting even in itself. We are halfway through _Illusion's Folly_ as of the next chapter, which will live up to it's title. No, I'm not going to tell you what it is. You'll just have to guess.

And I am deeply sorry that I haven't written anything in the last two months. Fiances and work have kept me away from even proofing this chapter. Not to mention kept me from finishing the next chapter! I've had them both for the last month now, but wasn't able to even sit down and work on them. So, I will be getting the next chapter out by Wednesday, Dec. 20th. If not the day after. There are the two fight scenes I have to work on. They weren't detailed enough for my liking. So, I would liek to thank all my readers that have infinite patience with me. I **PROMISE** to have the next chapter out before the end of the week.


	22. Nightmare

_Illusion's Folly_

Chapter 22

Nightmare

(a) (a) (a)

Sakura stepped back, the man's voice washing over her in waves. It felt as if her bones were vibrating. The sound was amazing to come from such a slender man. She watched carefully as he dropped and came upright, his white-gold hair flowing like a waterfall down his back to brush his knees. He was pretty. As in girly pretty. Not her type at all, but that wasn't through any fault of his. She was still in love with tall, dark and bitchy. A slight smile touched her lips as she thought of her long time flame. She knew it was just puppy love for a boy who could only love one person. Her attention came back to the man as he shifted his feet to cock a hip out and prop his chin on one of his hands, resting the elbow on his waist.

"Such beautiful skin and eyes. Makes me wonder what the rest of that carefully hidden body looks like," he rasped, licking his rose colored lips.

Sakura snorted. "Not that you'll get to see any, Wave boy." Taking a kunai from her pouch, she shifted into a defensive stance. "So, do I get to know your name before I fuck you up or is that reserved only for long relationships?"

"What a nasty mouth you have, sweetness." He laughed, the points of his teeth sharpened to deadly points. "I'll let you know, but only because I will enjoy that little body of yours before I rip that lovely flesh from your bones." Bowing, he straightened and smiled ferally. "Mizuna Kurai, lady mine. May I have your name?"

Sakura snorted again. "Like I'd tell someone my name before I kill them." So saying, Sakura blurred out of existence, searching for the blind shuriken thrower. She would have to get rid of that one if she was to win against Mizuna Kurai. That one could play hide and seek all he wanted, but if the blind one was still around, then he could make her life a living hell.

Creating some clones, Sakura headed for the flares that had chased her over the tree tops. It was the only lead she had on the blind person and she was glad that she had spent all those days memorizing hundreds of medical jutsus and then the pain of having Tsunade beat her into submission three times a week. Those were the times that she knew would be the hardest on her. During those sessions, Tsunade would demand that she repeat the formulas of various antidotes and salves as she went at Sakura. Those times were hugely beneficial overall as Sakura could think while moving, remembering where the last blow would come from and try to calculate where the next would come. In retrospect, she had to smile at the times that Tsunade had come away with smile on her lips as Sakura, barely concious, had severed three of her Chakra lines before the woman had knocked her out. She could only wonder at the training that Naruto was going through with Jiraiya.

Coming back to the present, Sakura cut her Chakra out and focused on the last flare from the blind thrower. Could anyone really find a blind man or woman that knew a place? All it's in and outs? Sakura could only guess as she came upon the blind man. He knew she was there, of that she was certain. People like him could find anything in the blackness of non-sight. She had to get rid of him or she wouldn't have a chance against the pretty boy. Rigging three kunai with exploding tags, she threw them toward the man. As they landed, they immediately ignited, throwing the small glade into an inferno. The man had jumped three seconds before they had made contact and he was carefully and quickly making his way back to Kurai. _Damn_.

Following quickly, she sped through the trees, trying to catch him before he made it back. A different sound entered her perception. Ducking as she ran, a chain flew through the space she had been in. Barbs along the chain ate into the trunk of the tree she had been on and sliced through with a biting sound. Kurai had found her. She doubted that the blind man handled the chain. He was a range fighter, not a close combat fighter. Veering left, Sakura pumped Chakra into her feet and ran down the trunk of another tree, leaping before she hit the ground. Switching the Chakra from her feet to her hands, she swung around another trunk, again swithcing the Chakra to her feet to run up the tree and jumping to another. Taking aim with another exploding tag, she chunked it toward the Chakra flare above her. Releasing the Chakra, she fell to the ground and rolled as the explosion rocked the trees around her.

Hearing a grunt of pain, she hurried to the sound, finding the blind man holding his left arm. It had been burned and was nearly useless. Taking the chance, she infused her hands with Chakra. Running as silently and as quickly as she could, she got behind the man, cutting across the back of his thighs and across his right arm. Fully disabled, he wasn't able to move. Only screams of pain, as the full extent of the bladeless scapels cut into his muscles, echoed through the glade. Sakura didn't have time to end his screams as the chain swung down from above. Only a chance catch of a still flying branch saved Sakura from being caught with it. Using the Chakra in her hands, Sakura landed a blow onto the trunk of the tree.

She watched with a deadly calm as the tree was obliterated and the pretty boy fell from the branches in a heap. Not leaving him a chance, Sakura gave a sharp cry and grabbed the deadly chain, breaking it in half. The boy regained his feet and stared at the destruction around him. Nothing this small should have caused so much destruction in so short a time. His weapon was gone and all that was left was what he had in his pouch. A few kunai and shuriken should see him through this. He smiled shortly and took his stance.

"Not bad for a sweet little thing like you, cutie. Won't you tell me your name?" he asked, his right hand reaching into his pouch.

"Not a chance in hell, pretty boy," Sakura spat. A short jump had her within arm's length and she cut at his legs.

Kurai leaped back, staying out of her reach. Sakura would have to take it to ranged fighting if she was going to win this. She wasn't the best at ranged but she could manage. A smile played around her lips as she gathered half her Chakra into her right hand. Faking a feint to the left, she slammed her fist into the ground and split it. The new canyon sped out catching the boy off guard as he fell. Running forward, she charged her Chakra scapels and cut his throat, not bothering just to cut under the skin. She flew by as the blood spray arced out. She listened in silence as the boy gurgled in his own blood, a look of utter disbelief coloring his face.

"Don't fuck with a girl from Konoha," she whispered to the silent trees.

(a) (a) (a)

The Triplets smiled at their prey. This was going to be a piece of cake. The man was smaller than the three of them and there was no way that he would defeat them. Grinning, they all spread out around the slouching man. Each went through identical hand seals and created a triangle effect, tripling the water jutsus affect. A rush of water appeared around the man and encapsulated him. He seemed surprised and started to panic.

"No one can escape this watery hell we create," the woman boasted. "No on-"

The brothers stared at the fist protruding from their sister's chest. The faint crackle of white lightning faded away as the man inside the bubble became a piece of wood. Screaming in lossn, the men rushed to the woman and held her in their arms. She gave them a short smile, blood pouring from her mouth.

"He's going to kill us all, bros," she rasped through the blood. "It's Hatake. He's going to kill us all." Her words faded as the light in her eyes faded.

"Should I just kill you now? Or would you like to take your sister and get the hell out of here as quickly as possible?" Kakashi asked from his seat by a nearby tree. He held his book open and looked over it at the, now, twin men.

"You'll die for this, Hatake Kakashi," the one on the left spat.

"Have it your way then," Kakashi shrugged.

The men never saw the real one standing behind them or felt the kunai slice through their spinal cords. Each slumped over his sister and appeared to sleep.

"I hate killing kids," Kakashi said to no one in particular. "I wonder how Sakura is doing?"

Wiping the blades on the bodies, he set off to find Sakura from her Chakra flares. They were getting larger and larger, but the ones from Iruka's area weren't even flaring. He could only hope that his mate was still alive or in hiding. The Jounin flare he had sensed was enough to take him out with ease. Right now, Sakura was in need of help.

(a) (a) (a)

"Shit!" Iruka screamed as the huge man chased him through the trees. He was big, but he could move. It hadn't taken long for the man to chase him down after their initial meeting. His scythe was cutting through anything and everything, taking out possible escape routes. Iruka had several cuts and scrapes along his arms and face from flying debris. He only had one route to take and that was forward. He could hear the explosions off to his left as he ran. Sakura had always been good with the tags. He only hoped she was doing better than him.

Dodging the scythe again, Iruka put more speed into his legs. _Dammit_, _he's quick_. Leaping up, Iruka gained a tree and used his Chakra to speed up. He could move faster through the trees than on the ground. Gathering more Chakra into his hands, he formed a seal and turned, dropping to the ground. He waited three seconds for the Wave Jounin to come at him and slammed his fist into the ground. A slight rumble echoed out and the Jounin stumbled as chunks of rock and earth exploded around him. Stepping through it, he kept coming. Iruka gritted his teeth and unsheathed his sword. Infusing the blade with Chakra he waited for the Jounin. He didn't stand a chance against the man's weapon, but if he could get a few good hits in, maybe he could break through his defenses and weaken him.

"No more running, little man?" the Jounin asked as he slowed. "I wanted to play some more."

Iruka grimaced. "I don't want to play anymore, fish breath."

The Jounin frowned. "Fish breath? I haven't had any today. Unless you count that little morsel from yesterday. She was a lovely little fish," he grinned hugely, again lickin his lips. "She was right tasty."

Iruka shuddered and felt sorry for any female that came into contact with this behemoth. What he dreaded most was that scythe. It had a considerable reach on his sword and looked to be heavy. He doubted that he would be able to lift it. The man was massisve, his muscles rippling along his arms and shoulders. Snapping out of his thoughts, Iruka searched for an opening. Finding one, he charged in only to be thrown back against a tree. Gasping for breath, he stumbled around the tree and faded into the shadows. He wasn't going to be any good for a few minutes until he caught his breath. He needed to gain the trees again. He had always been good at hiding. Breathing in, he winced in pain. _Cracked a couple of ribs_, _possibly broken_. **_Damn_**. The Jounin was just to strong for him.

The cuts along his arms and face stung and were starting to slow to an ooze. Hearing the man crashing behind him, he pushed away from the tree and started to run. He needed water. He would have to use the water. It was really the only option left to him and with his Chakra starting to run low he could only gamble on the last few jutsus he knew. He could only hope that he disabled the man. Searching his memory, he recalled a stream back near the plain. Veering right to avoid the fight on his left, Iruka hurried back the way he had come.

Breaking through the trees and pelting for the stream, he glanced behind him. The Jounin was a distance shadow but would soon be on top of him. Reaching the water, he gathered his Chakra and formed the seals. He waited. The man would have to be close for this to work. Blood covered his arms and dripped onto his chest. He slowed his rapid breathing and steadied his pulse. He needed to concentrate. This was everything he had. There was no chance for a redo. He waited as if there was nothing to worry about.

"I love the ones that play hard to get, little morsel," the Jounin giggled as he came within shouting distance. Getting closer, the man smiled evilly. "You have given great pleasure so far, lovely, now I want even more." He licked his lips and shifted his scythe to his shoulder.

Iruka looked at him with dispassion. "You won't be getting anything from me, you sick bastard." He curled his lip as he thrust his fist out.

A bluish mist surrounded the Jounin. He blinked at it curiously, lifting an arm to sweep at it. A few seconds later he watched as his skin started to welt and bubble. Frowning now, he set his weapon against his side and rubbed at his arm. Not seeing a difference in the bubbles, he rubbed harder. Skin swelled and burst, blood starting to flow from the blisters. The Jounin watched as the skin on his other arm started to bubble and burst. He reached up and felt his face, the skin also starting to ripple.

"What have you done to me?" the man screamed as the pain hit his brain.

Iruka watched as his Melting Water jutsu became a reality. He had not thought that the new technique would work. It had popped into his head at the last second as he had burst into the sunlit plain. He couldn't think of where it had come from, but he was damned if he didn't try it. A quick flash of a white masked face crossed his vision. _What the hell_? The turned his attention to the mewling Jounin. His skin had sloughed off and left the muscles exposed. He could end the man's pain now, but he didn't want to. _How many had suffered at this man's hands_? _What atrocities had he committed against humans_? Iruka shook his head. It wasn't his job to judge. He should do the charitable thing and just slit the man's throat to end his suffering.

The technique was designed to burn through the layers of the skin, down to the muscles and then to the bone. Right now, the jutsu had only made it to the first layer of muscle. The nerves were completely in shock by now, as the acid mist ate through the flesh. Skin would slide right off the person caught in the blue mist. Once the mist had attached to as much exposed skin as it could, it faded to nothing, but left those caught in it writhing in pain. As the acid seeped further into the skin, it would spread outward and start to itch, causing the victim to scratch and spread the acid faster, and finally initiating the eating process. Within fifteen seconds of the first contact, the acid was bubbling the skin. Thirty seconds saw the first blisters bursting, the pain starting to sink in. After a minute, the victim would be nearly senseless in pain. At two minutes, the first white glint of bone would be visible. By then the victim was unconcious or had died from the pain, their heart bursting. All in all, it was not a pleasent way to die.

Iruka whimpered as he fell to his knees, the grisly images flashing by as the information poured into his brain. The figure in the mask threw his head back and laughed at the pitiful creature jerking on the ground in front of him. Iruka got the impression that this was one of the masked boy's favorite ways to kill. He shuddered at the pure malice the boy radiated. Pushing the image away, he grunted as he crawled to the Jounin and slit his throat. He couldn't stand to hear his cries anymore. The boy came back and seemed to sneer at the act. Wiping away a tear that trailed down his face, Iruka stood and went to the water to wash away the gore.

Clapping sounded behind him. Whirling, he blinked in surprise at a woman standing beside the Jounin's corpse. Her hair was braided down her chest and her back, the purest black he had ever seen. He also noticed that she resembled the man, but with nearly white eyes. Only a short vest covered her chest and low slung pants hing over her sandal clad feet. A band of tape held a small kunai pouch to her left thigh. She bent down to retrieve the scythe, examined it, then threw it away.

"Jarka never knew when to leave the pretty ones alone," she muttered, tossing her braid over her shoulder. "Told him it would be the end of him one day. Me, I let them tire out before I play with them." She smiled and her pointed canines featured in the toothy smile. They were longer than the rest of her teeth. "And what a pretty little toy Mira has found today."

Iruka laughed and sobbed at the same time. "Why am I the pretty one?" he whispered. "Why couldn't I have been the ugly one?"

Mira threw her head back and laughed. "My, aren't we being sorry for ourselves?" In a flash she was behind him, wrapping her long arms around his tired body. Whispering in his ear, she said, "But I like them all. More to feed on." With that she licked his ear. Iruka shuddered and tried to break away, but she was to strong for him. "Not today, boy. You are exhausted and out of Chakra. Your companions are to far away to help you. Mira will get some joy from your death for killing her brother."

"No," he whispered, trying to get away.

Mira ran a hand over his chest and down his stomach. She loved the way he shuddered at her touch. It got her excited. She nibbled at his neck, piercing his skin with her teeth. Lapping the blood as it welled from the punctures, she tasted the salty sweetness of his blood. _So young_. _So nubile_. She had probably ten minutes before the others came back for him. Plenty of time to destroy him and get her pleasure from his body. She quickly gathered a little Chakra and bound his hands together. He may have some Chakra left, so she wasn't taking any chances. He may be Chuunin, but he was strong. He had killed her brother, hadn't he?

Dragging her prisoner to the small rock fall, she threw him down none to gently and drew a kunai from her thigh. Tapping the blade against her blood stained lips, she debated on what to cut off first. After a minute of thought, she opened his vest and slit the ragged shirt to his navel. She appreciated the lean muscle of his stomach and the tight bands across his chest. She really liked the blush that spread down his face and onto his bronzed chest. He was very pretty and shy. She was going to enjoy this. Leaning down, she drew the vest and shirt down his arms. He turned his head away to hide his mortification. A small smile lifted her lips and she ran a finger across his tight chest. Such soft skin, too.

Silently, Mira straddled his knees and kept his legs restrained as she tapped the kunai against her thigh. Where should she cut first? Carefully, she sketched a thin line across his shoulder and down his right pec, circling the nipple. She watched as it rouched and tightened. _Interesting_. She performed it again on the left pec this time. Again, the same affect. She let a small smile touch her lips. Tracing the muscles of Iruka's stomach with her kunai, she reached his navel. With her right hand, she raked her nails over his upper thigh, making him quiver. This was the most sensitive she had ever teased one of her playthings. Maybe she should keep this one alive for a while. She laughed as she drew new lines across the boy's chest and stomach, digging deeper with each pass. Soon, he was covered in cuts, shallow and deep, his brown skin weeping blood and staining the ground under them.

Iruka could only endure the pain in silence. He knew she wanted him to scream. He wanted to scream, but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction. He had nearly died of shame when his body reacted in pleasure at the pain she inflicted on him. But when she started to dig deeper into his skin while raking her free hand over his thighs and tweaking his nipples, he had grown hard. He wanted to die. This wasn't something he could handle. His body could only take so much abuse and this was the last that he could take. As the blood tickled over his body to pool around him, he gratefully went into a state of shock. He hurried into a corner of his mind to hide from the woman and her minstrations.

He wasn't alone, he realized. The boy was watching the woman in fascination. He stood there for a few moments, then came back to Iruka's curled form. He was wearing ANBU black, arm and leg guards, and that white mask. He stared at him, his eyes narrowing.

"Why aren't you killing her?" he barked, a thumb thrust over his shoulder. "She's killing us."

Iruka blinked. "Us?"

The boy exhaled in annoyance. "Yeah, dimwit. Us. She kills you, she kills me. Get it?"

"Who are you?" Iruka asked, sitting up. "I keep seeing you in my dreams."

The boy came over and sat with a grunt of frustration. He reached up and lifted his mask. "I'm you, of course."

(a) (a) (a)

A/N: Well, a quicker chapter this time. Yay me! Now that I don't have to worry about my schedule, I can focus on writing more. But it also gives me more time to think of ways to torture my boys. (smiles at Kakashi and Iruka) They love it.

Don't you just love cliffies? I know I do. (grins ) I need to watch some more Martial Arts technique videos. I only know Tae Kwon Do, so I only know defensive moves. Grr...I need to get into a good fight with some of my cousins again. That would give me a motivation to create a kick ass fight scene.

(looks around) What? We tussle and then move on to stick fighting. It's one of the many things we do to entertain ourselves besides trying to kill each other with heavy horseshoes when we get together. Otherwise we'd be jumping from cliffs into water or trekking through the Appalachians. Can't with it being hunting season. Crazy hunters.


	23. Beginnings

Illusion's Folly 

Chapter 23

Beginnings

(a) (a) (a)

Iruka shook his head, hoping to clear his inner vision of the young man grinning at him ferally. It was him, but at the same time, it wasn't. He had never been ANBU. _Never_. He certainly did not remember wearing the guards or the outfit. The boy's velvety brown hair was spiked and duller than his own silky chocolate locks. Those same rich brown eyes stared back at him, but were filled with dangerous knowledge. The scar across the nose was the same. How could this be him?

"It's easy, dimwit," the boy said, picking dirt from under his nails. A habit that Iruka was familiar with. "I was sealed away a long time ago. Our esteemed Sandaime thought it best. I don't blame him for that little inconvenience."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Iruka whispered, trying to wrap this new existence around his already shocked brain pan.

Kinkou sighed and blew the hair out of his eyes. "Okay, let me explain it to you in simple and quick terms." He came over and sat beside Iruka, taking off his arm guards. "Much better. Now, let's see. I'll tell you about the time you've lost."

"Time I've lost?" He blinked. "What?"

Kinkou glared at him for a few seconds. "Will you shut it? I don't have a lot of time. Now, when you were eleven, the Kyuubi was wreaking havoc in Fire. By the time you were twelve, it had made it to Konoha and decimated the village and nearly all the surviving shinobi from the war. It killed your parents and you swore you wouldn't be weak like them." He paused and took a breath. "From that point, you threw yourself into your training and became a deadly and effective weapon in seven months."

Iruka chuckled. "I don't remember any of that at all. Besides, Kakashi would have noticed and remembered if there was another 'deadly weapon' in the village."

Kinkou reached over and jerked on Iruka's ear. "He never knew. No one did besides the Sandaime and a select few of the ANBU. We were watched for months before the ANBU approached us. After that, we were sent on various assassination and scouting missions. We were only deployed in Iwa though. Never anywhere else." He paused for a moment, a look of concentration passing over his young face. "I don't know why that was. I only know that we were never allowed to enter any other country. Of course, I think it was revenge against Iwa for their actions during the war. We were scared and exhilarated at the same time," he purred with a smile.

"After a while, all we wanted to do was kill. Our last mission out, we went berserk. The mark was nothing but a bloody mess of bone and unrecognizable meat. There was nothing left to him." Kinkou seemed to think over his next words. "After we came back, the ANBU relief unit reported back to the Sandaime. He feared for our sanity. He had allowed us to become a monster. Sandaime didn't want us to become like some he had known.

"A few days later, he called us to his office and then drugged us. He sealed me away inside you and hoped that the seals would stay in plae for the rest of your life. He had created a monster to rival the feared Kyuubi and he loved you to much to let that happen to you," Kinkou explained with a sweet smile. "I'm actually glad that he did it, though. It gave me a chance to grow up and get to know, if not a completely normal life, then a stable one. You grew into a very fine man. Bad temper, but gentle and loving. You even took the container under your wing and became a father to him."

Here, Kinkou stopped and stared at his hands for a few seconds before looking back at Iruka. "But the time for me to be sealed has ended. You need me if you are to survive this. The crazy bitch is abusing our body and I don't like it." His eyes blazed intese hatred at his own words.

Iruka scratched his head. "Um. This is going to hurt isn't it?"

Kinkou grinned again. "Oh, the seals are weak so it won't hurt, but I don't know about your mental state when the final seals are broken. Those are the memory seals. Those contain the jutsus that we created during our ANBU stint. As well as the memories of everything we did during our missions." He frowned and held his chin in his hand. "That is going to be a very bad experience for you. However," he declared glancing over at Iruka, "I will be there to help buffer some of the pain. Nevertheless, we must hurry. She's getting bored with your unconcious body."

Kinkou formed a complex set of seals then touched Iruka's forehead. "Kai," he whispered.

(a) (a) (a)

Mira was getting so bored. The boy wasn't responding to her cuts or her hands anymore. She was pretty sure he was still alive, but it was hard to tell if his chest was moving under all that blood. He had made little noises earlier, but he had gone quiet a minute ago. She should just take his life, however, she wanted him awake for his death. Forming seals, she touched his forehead to wake him.

Iruka gasped at the pain lancing through his body and mind. Memories that were best left alone flashed by, stabbing his brain with remembered pleasure and pain. Another wave of twisting pain arced through his body as the seals holding back his old power were released. Long forgotten jutsus became second nature, as they settled into their long denied places. And there, just beyond the swirling black and green flow was a white masked boy, waving.

Gathering a deep breath into his abused body, Iruka lay there in blinding pain. He could feel every cut and bruise on his body. The woman was forming seals from what little he could see from underneath the blood coating his eyes. She touched his forehead and a shock went through him. Unable to control his muscles, Iruka jerked. Luckily, with that shock, the extra Chakra settled into place. Smiling to himself, he formed a seal with his left hand.

Coughing, he ground out, "I hope you can fly, bitch." As the last word left his tongue, he reached up and flicked her in the chest, just above her solar plexus. He watched as she flew backwards.

Mira squawked in surprise and was thrown back with a massive blast of air. Landing, she rolled to absorb as much of the shock as possible. How had he done that without forming seals? Crawling to her knees, she gagged and spit out a mouthful of blood. _What the hell was this_!?

"What did you do to me, boy?" she rattled, spitting out more blood.

Iruka used a small amount of Chakra to staunch the flow of blood and inject some control into his protesting body. Carefully he stood and faced the woman that had wanted to pervert his body and kill him. Controlling the Chakra with very little effort, he sent it into his body to repair the worst of the damage doen to his body. The smaller injuries were annoying, but not life threatening. A few seconds of extreme pressure and the deep cuts were sealed. Opening his eyes, he stared with hate at the woman.

"I hit you," he stated calmly.

She spat another gob of blood into the dirt and stood. "You won't get another chance to do that, boy."

Iruka smiled the same feral smile that Kinkou usually wore, his eyes flat of any emotion except the hatred he felt toward this woman and her perverse mind set. "You will die today."

Laughing, she charged. The bloody kunai flew from her equally stained hand as she formed a water seal. Iruka tracked her movements and formed a counter seal with his left hand. When she threw out her hand, Iruka lifted his left hand and let the green lightning travel down the water spout spiraling toward him. He broke the jitsu before the water spout was within ten feet of him. Stepping aside lightly, he heard the woman's scream of pain and frustration. She was shaking her hand and glaring at him.

"You won't win against me," he called across the distance. "I am to much for you to take on."

Snorting, she threw her long hair over her shoulder. "I doubt that, boy. You're out of Chakra and your buddies are still a long way off."

Iruka shrugged. "Doesn't matter. You will die and I will be doing the killing."

Spying his sword twenty feet away and to the right, he sprang for it, snatching it from the ground. Pivoting, he faced the woman and held up his sword in a ready position. He could hear the whispers of his old self telling him how to infuse the weapon with the black and green Chakra that was his own. Nodding, Iruka changed the course of his Chakra and sent it into the blade. He watched as the blade went from flashing silver to dull dark green. He knew this. He looked back at the woman and smiled at her sweetly.

Screaming in rage, she charged again, drawing two kunai from her hip pouch. Countering the frontal assault, he swung down and across her midsection. Cutting into fabric and flesh, he could smell the burning skin and material. Oh yes, he remembered this blade. As the blade tip passed over her stomach, he jerked up and to the right, knicking her ribs and splitting the skin. Good hit, if sloppy. He heard her gasp of pain. Not letting her take more than that, he stepped into her side and swung down again, cutting across her thigh deeply. As she wetn down, he slid the blade up and drew a line across her right arm and chest.

Mira couldn't move. The pain was agonizing. It burned through her veins and along her skin. _What had he done_? _Why were a few simple cuts making her so weak and giving her such pain_?

Iruka cleared the blade's Chakra skin and cleaned the blade on the woman's shirt. He sat cross-legged next to her and watched her writhe in curiosity. His body was starting to react to the blood loss and the fast movements. Light headed was just what he needed right now.

"Wha...what have you done to me?" she gasped out between bouts of pain.

"Nothing really. I only cut you," he exclaimed. "Oh, and I also poisoned you."

She looked at him with death in her eyes, the orbs already starting to glaze. "You had no Chakra left. I saw it. There was nothing left." Her breathing started to slow. "Who are you?"

Iruak was fast losing consciousness and uttered the first thing that popped into his head. "I am Balance and you have been found wanting," he whispered as he passed into a faint.

(a) (a) (a)

Kakashi and Sakura hurried back to the clearing. Both had felt the ebb and flow of the Chakra Iruka had been using. Something seemed wrong with the last of the Chakra that had been used. It seemed old and stunted, as if it had not been used in a very long time. Each looking to the other, they rushed to the last flare. Stumbling to a halt, they could only stare.

Iruka was nearly naked, his clothes hanging is strips from his crumpled body. One eye was swollen shut. Hundreds of small cuts were oozing blood from an already blood covered body. Beside him, a woman with long hair was curled in upon herself. Sakura quickly went to Iruka. She nodded to Kakashi to let him know that he was alive. She checked the woman and jerked back. The cuts across her body had eaten into her. Acid spread outward from her wounds, eating her away.

"Kakashi, this woman is being eaten inside out from acid," Sakura whispered.

"Leave her. Iruka needs to be treated and we need to get out of here," he said, cradling Iruka in his arms. "Get our stuff and follow me. We aren't very far from the Daimyo's estate."

(a) (a) (a)

A/N: Gahhhrrrrr!!! Frustration. Major frustration. I think it's a good thing that I am ending this one soon. The next installment will be posted as a new story, but will have all the juicy goodness of this one. As well as two others. One to follow along with this one and another completely off our fave men. Time to torment Kiba and the others. (laughs like a mad scientist)

Yeah...


	24. recovery

Whispering Illusions 

Chapter 24

Recovery

(a) (a) (a)

Whispering water and the lonely call of a loon woke him from his slumber. Slowly he drifted back to the waking world and with it came dull aches and deep throbs. Wincing as his eye blinked open, Iruke realized that he had a swollen left eye. Lifting his arm, the simple summer yukata fell back onto his upper arm and revealed the bandages covering his arm. Taking stock, Iruka mentally went over the major aches and pains in his body. Several of his cuts were still slwoly oozing blood from being moved, his ribs were cracked, and his chest was probably one big mass of bruises and multiple cuts. Sighing, he focused his Chakra and sent it out in healing waves over the cuts and deep bruises. After a few moments, the barely visual green Chakra sank back into his skin and he breathed a sigh of relief. He could sit up and not pant for availiable air.

As he sat up, he could only think that he was in the daimyo's estate. Kakashi and Saukra had lived. He knew that Kakashi would, but Sakura was still so young. He could, at the time, only hope that she would be alright. He had nearly died when he felt the huge Chakra waves and then the explosions as he ran and fought through the forest. He smiled at his thoughts. Sakura had been taught be Godaime-sama herself. There wasn't really anything to worry about. Though Sakura was weak in taijitsu, she was excellent with genjitsu and medical jitsus. Maybe she had finally found confidence to fight for herself with Naruto and Sasuke gone.

With that line of thinking, Iruka frowned. He missed Naruto fiercely. Almost three years ago, the boy left with Jiraiya. It almost seemed like yesterday that Naruto was begging him for more ramen at Ichiraku's. He prayed that the boy was safe. Even with Jiraiya with him, there was still the threat of Akatsuki to contend with. They wanted Naruto, but for what?

Growling, Iruka threw off the light covering his legs, the yukata falling open to his waist. Bandages covered him from neck to upper thigh. He hadn't thought he was that bad off, but apparently it had been bad. He had stoppped most of the blood, but the deeper wounds had oozed. Iruka ran a hand through his messy hair and blew it out of his eye. He could pull it back, but his arms were still a bit sore. He should also think about healing his swollen eye, but it could wait. He looked around the room.

Spacious and neat, the room was done in calming greens and blues. Behind him, one wall was painted with a pond scene, as graceful white cranes and water lilies floated on rippling teal water. Cattails seemed to move in the slight wind and a distant shadow revealed itself to be a man fishing. Set perpendicular to the scene, against the far wall to his let was set a deep red cherry table and wardrobe. His pack was set against the bottom of the heavy wardrobe. Two small paper lanterns were sitting in either corner of the left wall as well as on the right wall. The right wall held a sliding paper screen and could possibly lead to another room or to a bathroom. Directly in front of him was another sliding door, this one with two doors instead of the one. That one probably led out to the veranda. Beside him, a small cherry table held a pitcher of water and a glass. Pouring some into the glass, he drank slowly. His futon was lush and cushioned with down. It was also set about three inches off the tatami covered floor.

It was close to morning, he could tell that much. As if to verify it, a lark sang out. Stretching his senses, Iruka felt around for other people. In his immediate area, he guessed the guest wing, there was Sakura just waking up about fifteen or so meters across from him. Kakashi was still snoring to his right. So that's where that door led. There must have been a social area in between the two rooms. He wondered what Kakashi's room was decorated like. Stretching his senses further, he found four more people in what he thought to be the family wing, all still asleep. In a wing further back on the estate, he could barely make out the waking servants and the already busy cooks and maids. He smiled and let his senses fall back. He was tired.

_Don't let your guard down to much_, Kinkou whispered.

"Knock it off, phantom!" Iruka growled.

_I've kept my end of the bargain_. _The nightmares won't visit you until your mind releases the seals_. _They are very temporary_. _I can only do so much to shield you while you recover_. Kinkou seemed to pause and think about his next words. _I can't let you break down completely_. _I like the life you have built_. _It's better than the one I left behind_. _You created a family for yourself and learned to love again_. _I can't let that get torn away_.

"Do whatever you want. You're me, after all," Iruka ground out, clenching his fists.

Kinkou's presence spread a calming wave over Iruka's flashing temper. _I don't want to fight with you_, _you know_._ I_ am _trying to help you_. _Eventually_, _you won't need me anymore and I will just disappear as if I was never here_. _You will be left with all my memories_. Kinkou sounded relieved. _I've lived with them and it made me stronger_. _It_ will _make you stronger_.

Iruka gritted his teeth. "I never wanted them."

_To damn bad_. _Get used to it_. _You think I wanted to be sealed away_?_ I screamed and fought to be left alone_, _but what I had become was going to kill me_. _I didn't think so at the time_, _but this is what I am_. _I am not proud of what I became_. _No one should ever do what I have done_. Kinkou's voice faded with those haunted words.

Iruka wiped a tear from his cheek. "I never wanted this," he whispered to the quiet room.

(a) (a) (a)

Sakura stood outside Iruka's room and her head hung. She could feel the pain that was coursing through her old teacher's words. She could only guess at what he had been through and what was going through his mind. He sounded so hurt and all she wanted was to make him smile again. Silently, she padded away from the guest wing and into the servant's wing. She could only do so much for her patients if they let her, and right now Iruka was hers. He needed food and someone to talk to.

Smiling, she stepped into the kitchen and asked for some bread, eggs, and some sweet jam. As that was being prepared, Sakura pulled a small packet of herbs from her belt pouch and prepared a mixture of rosemary and thyme, adding some mint. Grabbing a tea ball, she pulled a bubbling pot of water over to her and set the teaball and mix into the bottom of a teapot. Pouring the hot water over the ball, she waited for a few minutes then pulled the metal from the water. The fragrant steam lifted to her nose and she sighed in content. Pouring a bit into a small cup, she tasted the brew. Adding a small piece of honeycomb, she placed it on a tray with three red clay mugs. Turning, she waited as the last of the three plates were prepared and a green clay jar of blackberry jam was placed on the tray. Thanking the bustling cooks, she carried the tray back to the guest wing.

Stopping at Kakashi's room, she tapped on the frame and slid it open. "Kakashi-sensei," she called quietly. "Time for breakfast. When you are dressed come over to Iruka's room." She slid the door shut again and listened as the silver haired man grumped and threw his pillow at the door. She smiled and went down two doors. Knocking, she slid the door back and beamed as she went in.

"Good morning, Iruka-sensei!" she chirped, slipping into the room. She watched as he adjusted his yukata back into place and pulled the blanket back over his lap. "I am very happy to see you are up. You've been sleeping for the last two days."

Iruka blinked at her and smiled. "Good morning, Sakura-chan."

Balancing the tray deftly, Sakura set it down on the small side table by the futon and kneeled down. "Let me get a look at those cuts," she said, reaching to pull his yukata down his chest and arms. Iruka blushed and leaned away from her touch. "Oh, for heaven's sakes, Iruka, I'm a medical nin. I've seen naked bodies before!"

"B-but," he stammered, turning even redder.

Sakura frowned and leaned forward, grabbing his yukata. He jerked back again and stared to turn purple. Not giving up, Sakura shimmied further in and ripped the yukata down his arms. Iruka again jerked back, trying to hold the yukata up. This threw Sakura off balane and she went tumbling into him. Squawking, she flew into his chest, knocking them both down. Gritting her teeth, she raised herself up on her arms. Iruka was blushing under her and she realized that her knee was resting right at his groin, her other knee near his hip.

"Iruka! Shame on you!" Kakashi giggled from the door. "Trying to get your student into bed with you!"

Sakura whipped around and blushed, her sea green eyes blazing. She jerked Iruka's pillow from under his head and threw it at Kakashi. "You _aren't_ helping matters, Hatake!" she bellowed. Turning back to Iruka, she grinned down at him devilishly. "Though this is interesting, I still need you to take off that yukata. And if you give me any more problems, I'll make you strip to your skin!" She pushed off from the severely blinking and blushing man and sat back up.

Iruka mumbled under his breath and did as the girl asked him to. It was bad enough that he was completely mortified that he had caused her to fall, but even more so that she had looked quite beautiful hanging over him. He could hear Kinkou's laughter and appreciation bouncing around his head. Straring over her head into nothing, Iruka lifted his arms and waited for her to unbind the bandages across his chest.

He caught a flash of shadow and swiveled his head to watch Kakashi settle on the other side of him. The masked man was wearing a white and blue koi patterened yukata, his blue mask in place. His black eye patch covered the Sharingan eye and his hair was sticking out at odd angles. It made Iruka want to run his hands through his hair.

"So, would you like to tell us what happened the other day?" Sakura asked, winding a new bandage around his chest.

"Um," Iruka stalled.

"Spit it out, Iruka. I don't tolerate lies from patients and I can't treat you if you don't tell me what's going on in that head of yours," Sakura stated from over his shoulder. She pressed against his back and looked at him over his shoulder, a smouldering look in her eyes. "You can tell me now or I can torture it out of you."

Iruka swallowed audibly. Sakura was fifteen, nearly sixteen, and she knew it. Her parents couldn't keep a leash on her anymore and she was turning into a very beautiful woman. He felt sorry for her father. He could imagine that the man was having heart attacks that his daughter was on a mission with two men. He sighed inwardly and thought about answering her. She knew many techniques, but he knew a few himself.

"Iruka," Kakashi said, touching his shoulder. "She took out two nin's back there with her medical jitsu. Cut one guy's head clean off. You might not want to make her angry," he exclaimed with a twinkle in his eye.

Mouth hanging open, Iruka blinked at the now smiling girl and gulped. Taking in a deep breath, he asked, "Can I at least have breakfast first? I'm starving."

"Of course!" Sakura cried, moving the table to sit in front of her. She handed each man a piece of toast with an egg. She lifted her eyes to ask if either one wanted jam and added jam to each of thiers. She then poured the still steaming tea and handed one to Iruka. "That is a special blend tea that will help calm your nerves."

"Thank you, Sakura," Iruka replied gladly. Taking a sip, he found it to be sweet and minty. "This is really good."

"I learned to make it from Tsunade-sama," she said around a piece of toast. She swallowed and sipped her tea. "It's good cold, but you need to add sugar instead of honey." She polished off her toast and slathered another piece with jam, handing it to Iruka. "I have some other recipes that can clear up any kind of problem you can ever have." She smiled, wiping at some jam as it ran down her chin.

Kakashi lifted another piece of toast and ate it dry. "The tea is excellent, Sakura."

After a while, they finished eating and set the table aside. Sakura and Kakashi listened as Iruka told them of his past and what he had done. Kakashi looked thoughtful as he heard about Kinkou and his exile to Iwa. Sakura listened with tears in her eyes and once he was done she scooted over and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"You're not upset or surprised?" he asked sheepishly, staring at his hands in his lap.

Kakashi looked over at him and gave him a smile. "I am not surprised at all, though I don't think you were ANBU." At Iruka's incredulous look, he held up a hand. "You were, but you weren't. I believe that you were part of ROOT. Daigo's pet project. The Sandaime gave him control of a secret organization after the Third War. I would have known if you were in ANBU."

Sakura sat on her heels and thought about the seals that were used. "Those seals were never supposed to be breached. But they eroded after a while and some of it was leaking through. I don't think the Sandaime really knew that the seals would break down over time." A watery grin painted her white face as she peered at Iruka. Laying a hand on his shoulder, she said, "This might be a good thing though. If those seals hadn't been released, then you would have been dead."

Iruka chuckled and felt much better now that they knew. "Glad to hear that, Sakura."

Smiling at the two men, she gathered up the food tray, leaving the cooling tea behind. "I'll leave you two alone for a while. I want to look at the kitchen garden. I have an idea for supper tonight and I would like you two to eat with me in my room."

Iruka nodded, but asked, "What about the daimyo? Shouldn't we see him?"

Kakashi shooed Sakura out and slid the door shut. "The daimyo is away on business and didn't expect us for another couple of days. He's not used to how fast we shinobi move. He will be here late tomorrow. We are to see him day after tomorrow. Until then, his family is letting us recuperate and giving Sakura run of the kitchens." He came over to sit on the futon facing Iruka, pulling his mask down. "I nearly died when I thought you were dead."

Iruka inhaled Kakashi's scent and leaned forward to kiss his lips gently. "I thought I was dead, until I woke up here." He kissed Kakashi again. "Mmm. Tastes of honey and blackberries."

(a) (a) (a)

This is the end of Whispering Illusions. I am very sorry that it took so long to update, but work got in the way. -kicks old work place- Anyway, I am jumping right back in with a new fic featuring our guys and the gang. I will be adding some of the manga stuff, so be prepared for some spoilers.

NO, I am not adding a Sakura bit to Iruka and Kakashi's story. Iruka is still her teacher. Though I am not shy about putting her with different pairs. I'll have to think of it when it's time to release the next fic and make those side stories. I still have Anko and Ibiki's, Genma and Raidou, Kotetsu and Izumo, Kiba and the entire gang, plus Asuma and Kurenai.

Later there will be artwork to accompany these fics as I get a hold of my WACOM and kill this old PC for killing and deleting my last two attempts at getting this fic updated.

**A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO READ AND REVIEWED. I LOVE YA'LL.**

Look for **Facts of Danger**, the next installment to this series. Until then, ja na!


End file.
